James Reid with his current girlfriend Issa Pressman (left) and ex-girlfriend Nadine Lustre | Image: Instagram/@james, @nadine
As James Reid switched gears to acting, he quickly dispelled hopes that he would be joining another love team, or at least have an onscreen reunion with his ex-girlfriend, Nadine Lustre, in deference to his current girlfriend, Issa Pressman.
In a recent interview with Ogie Diaz, Reid was asked about the possibility of getting together with Lustre for a project, noting that their love team, “JaDine,” still has a lot of following.
“I don’t think that’s happening,” he said laughingly. “There’s still that undying support that I’m always grateful for even as I transition to music, nandoon pa rin sila [fans], [to] promote my music and support. But out of respect for my girlfriend, Issa, I don’t think I’ll ever do another love team.”
The singer-actor underscored that he hoped that everyone would find a way to move on from his breakup with Lustre, which he admitted contributed weight to all of them.
“It’s been a very difficult year for me, also for Issa, and I’m sure for Nadine also, with all the noise, all of the bashing sana people can move on from all of that,” he said, adding that it has been a depressive episode for him.
Reid affirmed that he and Lustre “have no problem with each other” and that he also used to date another person before Pressman.
“Yes, I have no problem,” he expressed. “It’s just the fans have a way of creating rumors and all of this stuff saying that inagaw or whatever which just makes no sense because I dated someone after Nadine, anyway. Don’t ask me who.”
The “Randomatic” singer emphasized that he and Pressman are happy together, and happy as well for Lustre who is also now with long-term boyfriend, Filipino-French entrepreneur Christophe Bariou.
“But you know people will always make up their own stories and I just try my best to live a life that I’m proud of so that I can sleep at night and just focus on my life,” he explained.
“Hopefully people will just move on because they can see happy naman kami, happy naman sila. Tama na,” continued the actor.
Reid and Lustre first emerged as a love team in 2014 through the rom-com movie “Diary ng Panget,” and eventually becoming one of the biggest team-ups of their time, especially as their onscreen chemistry translated to their real-life pairing.
In 2020, through a joint statement, the couple would confirm their separation after three years of dating, and several weeks of speculation. They, however, claimed their breakup was not because of “the reasons that were being spread on the tabloids and social media,” referring to the third-party rumors between the actor and Pressman.
Three years later, Pressman would post photos with Reid seemingly confirming their relationship.