Coco Martin finally confirmed, if a bit inadvertently, what their fans have long suspected about his “not-so-secret relationship” with Julia Montes.

After more than a decade of avoiding to be cornered about the status of their relationship, Coco in an unguarded moment let it slip that he and Julia have been together for “12 years.”

This happened during a TV Patrol interview on the sidelines of a media launch of a historic Kapamilya-Kapuso joint teleserye.

Showbiz insiders may have known it all along, and even Coco and Julia themselve have been openly going out together, as any couple would, on vacations here and abroad or at gatherings with friends and colleagues.

One thing about the actor’s admission, it showed that he and Julia have reached that stage in their relationship where they are both confident of their commitment to each other.

Here, PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) looks back on the many times Coco and Julia made headlines for their unconfirmed friendship and romance through the years.

2011-2012: LAUNCH OF COCO AND JULIA AS LOVE TEAM

Coco and Julia were first paired together in the Kapamilya prime-time serye Walang Hanggan, which aired from January to October 2012.

Pre-production for the project began in 2011.

The onscreen chemistry of Coco and Julia, despite their 13-year age gap, radiated throughout the show such that their launch as a love team was a success.

He was 30 years old and Julia was only 17 at the time.

During their live concert at the Big Dome in October 2012, Coco said he enjoyed looking after her during her first lead role for a romance-drama series.

Julia agreed that Coco gave her a lot of valuable advice on how to handle her career and personal life.