Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, and everything in between: A timeline of how it all started, ended
From the rise of ‘SnoRene’ to Jam Villanueva’s big revelation, here’s everything you need to know about Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings’ cheating controversy
MANILA, Philippines – During a press conference on July 12, actress Maris Racal admitted that she and OPM icon Rico Blanco were no longer together.
“Anthony is out of the picture. It’s just me and Rico. Mainly me, I’m the issue,” Maris said, attempting to dispel rumors that her Can’t Buy Me Love co-star was involved in her breakup.
In an ambush interview in late November, Anthony later confirmed his split with non-showbiz ex-girlfriend Jamela “Jam” Villanueva. Again trying to debunk rumors of his and Maris’ alleged blossoming romance, Anthony stressed that he and the Sunshine actress are just friends, pleading for the public to respect both parties.
For months, netizens had already been speculating that Anthony and Maris’ relationship extended offstage. These were fueled further by details some eagle-eyed social media users were able to catch, such as the onscreen pair’s matching shoes during their trip to Italy in September to film the upcoming action-drama series Incognito. However, Maris said it was a mere coincidence.
Other Stories
[OPINION] Beat the patriarchy! Blame Anthony Jennings too
‘What’s unfortunate and what I find personally wrong in leaking the screenshots of Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings through social media is the slut-shaming of Maris Racal because of her supposed ‘thirst trap/hungry’ messages,’ says lawyer Jesus Falcis
PDEA chief: Pharmally’s Lin Weixiong is in our drug intel
Lin Weixiong is a close business associate of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s former economic adviser, Michael Yang
Newsbreak Chats: How low can Sara Duterte go?
What should be President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s next move against the unraveling of his former ally? Catch the discussion on Thursday, November 28.
The following month, in October, netizens were left puzzled by Jam’s cryptic breakup posts and reposts, which further fueled speculation about the true nature of Maris and Anthony’s relationship.
Despite the growing speculation, Maris and Anthony stood by their statements, maintaining that they were not involved in each other’s breakups. That was, until Jam made a big reveal on December 3 about the her side of the story in her breakup with Anthony, and Maris’ alleged involvement in it.
Given the messy turn of events, here’s a timeline revisiting Maris and Anthony’s respective past relationships, and how the two eventually became intertwined.
Maris Racal and Rico Blanco
Maris started out as a fan of Rico. In August 2017, she posted on X wondering when she’d hear the Rivermaya frontman perform live.
The following month, Maris received a surprise birthday video greeting from Rico.
Her fangirling continued, even greeting the OPM icon on his 45th birthday in 2018, saying, “Would [you] sing ‘Balisong’ on my wedding day?” Rico replied, saying that he would sing both “Balisong” and “Your Universe.”
In December 2018, Maris finally got the chance to meet Rico, whom she referred to as her “idol.” She shared a photo with him on her Instagram page, saying, “Abot langit ang ngiti (My smile reaches the heavens).”
After their first meeting in December 2018, Maris shared a snippet of a songwriting session where Rico played the piano while she sang an unreleased song she had written in her notebook.
A few months later, Maris and Rico released their first collaboration, “Abot Langit.” Rico wrote about their collaboration on an Instagram post, describing the song as a “gorgeous pop nugget,” and credited Maris for the main idea, hook, and vocals.
The pair continued their collaboration after the first release with a “Ricovered” version of the song. In September 2020, they also released their second collaboration, “Not For Me.”
After Maris’ fangirling moments, their meetings, and successful collaborations, one of Maris’ posts from March 2021 sparked relationship rumors with Rico. She shared a solo shot of Rico and a video of them singing together. She simply captioned the post: “Hi Rico. Happy birthday.”
In May 2021, the actress then openly shared the real score between her and Rico during a media conference for Maalaala Mo Kaya.
“Kami po ni Rico. I think, basing po sa post na ginawa ko, very obvious na po (Rico and I are a couple. I think, based on the post I made, it’s very obvious),” Maris said.
Anthony Jennings and Jam Villanueva
On the other hand, while there aren’t many public details about Anthony and Jam’s relationship, Jam gave fans a glimpse into their dynamic through several TikTok videos. In one clip, she joined the “how they say ‘I love you’ without saying ‘I love you’” trend, showcasing some of Anthony’s romantic gestures.
In another now-deleted video, she shared photos of her accompanying Anthony to the dentist after the actor said he didn’t want to go without her.
They would make frequent appearances in each other’s social media posts.
In past interviews, Anthony said that Jam fully supported what would later be his love team with Maris. Anthony even shared that Jam expressed kilig for his onscreen chemistry with the actress.
Jam and Anthony were together for almost seven years before they broke up, with Jam saying that Anthony was a part of many of her firsts in life.
The rise of ‘SnoRene’
In October 2023, Can’t Buy Me Love began airing on Netflix. While the show was led by prominent onscreen couple Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, who play Bingo and Ling, another love team caught the eye of viewers: “SnoRene,” played by Maris and Anthony.
Aside from power love team DonBelle, the undeniable chemistry between SnoRene became a quick hit, with their iconic, off-the-script banters and witty exchanges captivating fans.
Snoop, the kindhearted and humorous best friend of Bingo, and Irene, a dramatic and complex character hailing from a privileged world, find themselves intertwined despite their vastly different backgrounds. Their dynamic unfolds through moments of bickering and tension, showcasing how two seemingly opposite personalities can spark connections.
From their breakout roles and newly established love team, the pair’s fame rose, enabling them to secure endorsement deals, guestings, and TV appearances left and right. Their rising star power also led them to join the star-studded cast of Vice Ganda’s Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 entry, And The Breadwinner Is…
When Maris and Anthony were cast in Can’t Buy Me Love, both actors had relationships of their own. Maris was with Rico, and Anthony was with Jam, a non-showbiz individual.
However, their love team took a dramatic turn on December 3 when Jam revealed flirty text messages between Anthony and Maris on her Instagram stories.
