Kathryn Bernardo. Image: Instagram/@bernardokath

 

Months after her split from longtime boyfriend Daniel Padilla, Kathryn Bernardo tackled forgiveness and moving on at her own pace for her own peace of mind.

Speaking in an interview with Mega Magazine, Bernardo opened up for the first time about her breakup with Padilla, with whom she had an 11-year romance, saying her decision to clam up following the announcement of their separation was her way of claiming the narrative, as she did not want to be seen her as the “victim.”

“I didn’t want people to see me as a victim or to feel bad for me because it happened,” she said. “For me, the best way to cope was, first, I needed to heal and look at the bright side: I have so many blessings and so many people who stayed with me through all this. I focused on that. Second, I keep myself busy.”

 

Touching on forgiveness during the interview, the “A Very Good Girl” star also admitted that it’s a “deep” term for her.

“You can forgive people who deserve it. But when I forgive you, it doesn’t mean that I have to keep you in my life. I forgive you for my peace of mind, for clarity, and for everything,” she said.

After all, Bernardo said, forgiveness for her doesn’t mean that she wanted that person back. “It doesn’t mean na pwede kang bumalik (But it doesn’t mean you can return to my life). It depends,” she said. “I’ll just keep my distance, you keep your distance. We’re okay like that. I mean, kunwari, I got hurt, why would I allow you to come back?”

Bernardo said that throughout her heart’s ordeal, she made sure that her work would not get affected, though she admitted that she barely had time to acknowledge her feelings after the breakup with Padilla.

Her mother, Min Bernardo, had confessed during the actress’ contract signing with ABS-CBN ‘s Star Magic in February that the previous year had been “very, very hard time” for her.

Still, the actress seemed to be getting the hang of a single life as she recently celebrated her 28th birthday in Palawan with friends.

On the other hand, Padilla has yet to address the cause of his split with the actress as of press time. He nonetheless greeted Bernardo on her 28th birthday on his Instagram Story.

The actor-singer, however, thanked Bernardo at his contract signing event while admitting that he “will never forget” her and the memories they shared.

The ex-couple was considered as one of the biggest reel-to-real relationships in local show business, as they starred in numerous projects since their teens, including “She’s Dating the Gangster,” “2 Good 2 Be True,” and “The Hows of Us,” to name a few.