Filipino stars Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla confirmed their break-up. Photo: @supremo_dp/Instagram

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, affectionately known by fans as KathNiel, finally addressed their break-up days after rumours started swirling about the couple’s fallout.

Former Filipino celeb couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. Photo: @bernardokath/Instagram

After being together for over a decade, the two’s separation shook the Filipino entertainment industry, with fans quickly speculating about the reason behind their split. Bernardo and Padilla have been together since their teens and have grown up as a couple in the public eye, often marketed as a celebrity couple. Fans are calling this the end of an era.

Addressing the media attention honed in on the news, Bernardo released a statement on her Instagram account last Friday with a photo of her and Padilla as teenagers. In the statement to her 19 million followers, Bernardo thanked fans for their support and love for herself and Padilla, urging them to refrain from taking sides.

She maintains that the couple had grown apart for quite some time and sees no real chance of things returning to the way they once were. Still, she says the relationship accounted for 11 wonderful years and that Padilla remains dear to her: “Our love story began with respect and ended with respect.”

Expressing a similar sentiment, Padilla released a statement on his Instagram thanking Bernardo: “Thank you for dancing with me during my highs and singing with me during my lows.”

Here, we look at the former couple’s most memorable on-screen moments throughout the years and how they coincided with their real-life romance.

1. Growing Up, 2011

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla visited Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022, during their happier days. Photo: @supremo_dp/Instagram

Bernardo and Padilla grew up together on the set of the 2011 show Growing Up. This show marked the first time the couple shared a screen. The two played volleyball as teammates at 16 and 17 years old, respectively.

2. Princess and I, 2012

In the royal-themed 2012 TV series Princess and I, Bernardo played Princess Mikay who’s entangled in a love quartet. The princess ultimately chooses Padilla’s character, Gino. Though the couple was still keeping their relationship under wraps at this time, the on-screen match solidified their image as a couple in the eyes of fans.

3. Can’t Help Falling in Love, 2017

The pair are known affectionately by fans as KathNiel. Photo: @johnnybiryanitv/Instagram

In 2017, the couple starred in Can’t Help Falling in Love, a comedy centred on the lead characters’ marriage. Though the two still hadn’t announced their relationship at this time, they began to share private photos taken while holidaying together on their respective social media accounts, alluding to what many fans had already assumed to be true.

4. The Hows of Us, 2018

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla starred in the highly successful film The Hows of Us in 2018. Photo: @johnnybiryanitv/Instagram

The pair confirmed their relationship around the release of the film The Hows of Us a year later, sharing that they’d already been dating for a few years. Officially stepping out as KathNiel, the couple brought their charm to the box office – the film earned 810 million pesos (US$14 million), making it the first ever to break the 800 million pesos mark and the second highest-grossing Filipino film of all time, per Business World.

5. The House Arrest of Us, 2020

In the 2020 comedy series The House Arrest of Us, the two played an engaged couple forced to live under the same roof with both their families. The series marked the last time the couple appeared together in a project. The show was filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic and later held the No 1 spot on Netflix Philippines.