Our KathNiel hearts are breaking.
After weeks of speculations, reel-to-real life couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla confirmed on Thursday that they have ended their 11-year-old relationship.
"Chapter closed," Bernardo, 27, wrote in her caption on Instagram, while sharing an old photo of her and Daniel. "I hope this finally helps all of us move forward. I won’t be entertaining questions regarding this anymore. Thank you for understanding."
The 'A Very Good Girl' actress posted a longer statement, starting from the time she started in showbiz and their onscreen and offscreen relationship.
"I've been in showbiz for almost 21 years now, 12 years as the one-half of Kathniel, and 11 years as someone who loved Deej even behind the camera. I didn't grow up in this industry constantly being controlled and dictated on. I was lucky to have had the best guidance and support system when I started my career and I've continuously worked hard to earn people's trust," she wrote.
"But since I became an adult, I took it upon myself to take charge of my own life -- the projects I work on, the way I dress, the people I surround myself with. I've always tried to be my own person. I was encouraged to think for myself and decide for myself. Even when it comes to love. Especially when it comes to love," she added.
According to Bernardo, her relationship with Padilla was real, adding that she wouldn't trade their years together for anything.
"What Deej and I had was real. It was never for show. We were together not because of the cameras, not because of the fans, not because of the money that comes with a successful love team. We were genuinely in love," she said.
"That's almost half of my like that I would never regret and would never trade for anything in the world. These are 11 years that brought me joy, adventure, and the feeling of being home," Bernardo added. "He was my first boyfriend. He was my comfort zone. He was my person. I will always have love for him."
Bernardo also thanked their fans for the support, and asked them to avoid taking sides.
"Kathniels, we know you are hurting, and trust me, this also hurts us both more than you can imagine. The last thing we want is for this family to break apart with everyone taking sides --please don't," she said.
She ended the statement with a direct message to Daniel: “Deej, you gave me 11 beautiful years and the kind of love that I will forever cherish. I will always be grateful for you.”
Padilla, for his part, also posted an old photo of him and Kathryn along with a message.
"Sa mundo, buhay at sa limitadong oras na tayo ay nandito. Isang malaking biyaya ang pagmamahal. Ang mahalin ka. At mahalin mo," he wrote on Instagram.
"Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide," Padilla added.
He also left a message for their fans, asking for their prayers for growth and healing.
"Kathniels, maraming salamat sa pagmamahal ninyo. Maraming salamat sa napakagandang pinagsamahan natin. Hinding hindi namin ipagpapalit at hindi makukumpara kahit anong pang gawing nila. Hinding hindi nila pwedeng sirain 'yun. This is beyond show business. Pamilya kayo at mga kaibigan. Magiging mahirap pero kailangan natin yakapin ang kinabukasan," Padilla wrote.
"I pray for us to grow, and heal," he added.
Kathryn and Daniel first worked together in the youth-oriented series Growing Up, which aired from September 2011 to February 2012.
The two then led their first primetime series Princess and I in 2012, making waves as it topped the evening ratings and grew a huge fan base, establishing KathNiel as a love team.
In 2022, rumors of their breakup started when the two attended a media conference for their hit series “2 Good 2 Be True” and had different opinions when asked about loyalty .
Padilla and Bernardo celebrated their 11th anniversary of their love team in October 2022.
