Filipino Stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla Have Broken Up After 11 Years

The Gist:

• Filipino stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla announced their breakup on Dec. 1, 2023, saying that the two of them had grown apart.
• KathNiel said that they still respected one another and that despite their professional collaborations, the love that they had shared was real.

On Dec. 1, 2023, after 11 years together, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla announced that they were breaking up. Rumors had been swirling before Kathryn took to Instagram to explain that KathNiel was no more after 11 years.

Now that the news of their split has been confirmed, many are wondering why the couple broke up. While Kathryn's statement didn't offer much detail on exactly what happened between them, she made it clear that she was grateful for their time together and that what they shared was real.

In her post, Kathryn said that despite their on-camera partnership, their relationship was real. "I want you to hear it straight from me: It's true that Deej and I have decided to part ways," she wrote. "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."

Kathryn also said that Daniel was her first boyfriend, and that he became her "comfort zone." In her post, she made their split sound almost inevitable.

"Like any other relationship, we tried our best to make it work," she wrote. "We've been drifting apart for a while now, and we ultimately had to accept that we can't go back to where we used to be. It just won't be fair to pretend that everything is still the same.”

Kathryn said that the relationship began and ended with respect. She also said that she knew many fans would be hurt following this news, but urged them not to pick sides.

In the caption on her post, Kathryn also said that she wouldn't be discussing the breakup anymore beyond this post. So, this may be all the information we get on their breakup.

Many fans of KathNiel were deeply invested in their relationship not just because of their real-life romance, but also because their professional careers intersected frequently. Daniel and Kathryn had been on tours together and they also co-starred in films.

The news that they had broken up has taken many fans by surprise.

Fans have weighed in on social media saying that they expected Kathryn and Daniel to eventually get married, while others have discussed how their collaborations will always seem different now. It seems clear that the two of them broke up with respect for one another and are hoping their fans will respond with similar respect.