Much has been said about Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla. From being teen stars with oozing potential to being a phenomenal love team that gained success from their work and love from their loyal fans. Now, they have been admired not just for their craft as a love team, but also for their solo projects and their captivating real-life romance.

No one can deny the amount of success the couple has achieved throughout their love team era. They are highly regarded as one of the A-listers in the industry, and their projects prove it. KathNiel has the charisma, the chemistry, and the authenticity as a couple, which makes them an irresistible duo when it comes to fans and even to casual audiences.

Ahead, we look back at how Kathryn and Daniel, navigated through their reels-to-real-life love story.

Here’s Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s relationship timeline:

2011: The beginning of their love-filled connection.

KathNiel was not the plan from the get-go. In a Magandang Buhay interview, Kathryn revealed that Daniel and Julia Montes were first paired together. So before their debut project together, Kathryn already knew about Daniel, or DJ, as she would fondly call him.

ABS-CBN

It was in 2011, right after Kathryn and Julia Montes’ remarkable Mara Clara remake, when Kathryn was paired with Daniel. Still quite a newbie in the industry, Daniel was widely introduced to the viewers as Kathryn’s love interest in the teen show, Growing Up.

To some people, it may have been a simple teen drama, but for KathNiel, it was the start of their romance. Julia admitted noticing Daniel’s interest in Kathryn way back during Growing Up days.

“‘Nung Growing Up, ano sila nagkukulitan, kasi mapang-asar ‘to (Daniel) so ako, personally, kinikilig na ako. Pero siyempre, grupo-grupo, aasaran muna, pero later makikita mo na,” Julia shared.

Watch Kathryn, Daniel, and Julia’s interview here:

2012: KathNiel proved their on-screen chemistry in their first teleserye together.

Exuding so much potential to be the next A-listers of their generation, Kathryn and Daniel were given their first leading teleserye together in 2012, Princess and I. It landed on the primetime spot of their home network. While their show’s ratings soared, their understanding of each other deepened.

They acted together with also newbie stars back then Enrique Gil and Khalil Ramos. It became one of the many projects that cemented KathNiel’s mark in the entertainment industry.

2012: Daniel tells Kathryn “I love you” for the first time.

They were only making noise as an onscreen couple in 2012, but little did the public know that Daniel already conveyed his romantic feelings to Kathryn. In a 2021 interview, the actor narrated telling Kathryn “I love you” for the first time during their Princess and I days.

“Princess and I days, sa tissue ko nilagay,” Daniel explained how he first expressed his love for Kathryn. On the other hand, Kathryn recorded the exact date and time of her boyfriend’s love confession, in her diary.

ABs-CBN

2013: KathNiel headlined their first movie as a love team.

This time, Kathryn and Daniel were paired for their first-ever Star Cinema film called, Must Be…Love! It may be the typical coming-of-age film but it surely gave birth to a one-of-a-kind romance for the two superstars.

ABS-CBN

2014: KathNiel was hailed as box office king and queen.

In 2014, KathNiel earned a total gross of P296 million with their film, She’s Dating The Gangster. This movie was an adaptation of a well-loved Wattpad story by Bianca Bernardino. 

Fun fact: Kathryn once shared that the most challenging scene for her was when her character, Athena, was confessing her love to Daniel’s role, Kenji. The movie’s director, Direk Cathy Garcia-Molina understood Kathryn’s difficulty back then as she described the award-winning actress as someone inexperienced when it came to love back then.

2018: Kathryn and Daniel hard launch their relationship in public.

Dating rumors and love teams usually come together as a package. Since KathNiel began in 2011, many have already speculated about their relationship. But it was only in 2018 that Kathryn and Daniel officially declared their relationship in public.

During a press conference for their romance film, The Hows of Us, the two admitted to having dated for more than five years already, indicating that they were already a couple in 2012. They also shared that some of the scenes in The Hows of Us were quite inspired by their real-life arguments as BF-GF.

August 2018: Kathryn spills the juiciest details about her relationship with Daniel for the first time.

After they hard-launched their relationship in 2018, the couple had been very open about their moments and experiences as a couple. In August 2018, Kathryn had a solo interview with TV personality, Boy Abunda, wherein she divulged some of the most interesting details about their relationship.

Although Kathryn did not mention what year it happened, she still talked about their first kiss as a real-life couple—and it was not your typical first kiss!

“First kiss [was] super quick. No’ng tumalikod si Mommy, [nasa] Kamuning [Quezon City] pa kami. Sabi ko, ”’Yon na yong first? Hindi ‘yon yong in-imagine ko!’ Pero ‘yan. Super quick. Si Mama nando’n. ‘Tapos parang tumalikod lang po siya, may kinuha siya or something,” the actress told Tito Boy.

Here’s Kathryn’s full interview:

January 2019: KathNiel was rumored to have been engaged in Japan.

Kathryn and Daniel visited Japan in the winter of 2019. They went to Japan together with a couple of their family and friends, including Kath’s mom, Min Bernardo. The rumor mill started with Mommy Min’s Instagram post saying, “may nag-propose.”

That’s when netizens began aggressively speculating that Daniel popped the question of marriage to Kathryn in Japan. Back then, he was 24 years old, while Kath was 23. As much as everyone wanted them to be engaged as early as 2019, there wasn’t a proposal between the couple.

Kathryn quickly debunked the rumors as soon as they got back in Manila. In an interview, she stated, “Nung pinakita, yung [post] sabi ko, ‘nakakaloka kayo, mababaliw ‘yung mga tao.’ Hindi, hindi po talaga [nag-propose].”

Amid the rumors, Kathryn declared that she was entirely open about the idea of marriage with Daniel, however, it wasn’t happening any time soon. “Hindi muna siguro. Open ako sa idea pero kailangan pa naming magtrabaho pareho and baka too young pa ngayon [magpakasal],” she noted in 2019.

March 2019: Kathryn addressed breakup rumors for the first time.

Breakup rumors are always present when celebrities date. Case in point: Kathryn and Daniel. In just a year after they publicized their relationship, separation rumors between the two went around like wildfire.

Dumbfounded, Kathryn chose to respond to the rumors through a promotional event in March of 2019. “Sobrang saya namin ni DJ ngayon. Hindi porke’t hindi kami nagpo-post na magkasama kami, hindi ibig sabihin hindi kami okay. Kasi siguro, parang privacy na lang namin yun. Yung iba, siyempre,” the actress said.

April 2019: Kathryn surprised Daniel at his 24th birthday celebration.

2019 was Kathryn’s breakthrough year away from their love team. For months, she was based in Hong Kong filming Hello, Love, Goodbye together with Alden Richards. She hasn’t spent much time with Daniel due to her schedule but she made sure to be present on his 24th birthday in April 2019.

Surprised, Daniel couldn’t help but say, “Oh my god, Tangi.” Tangi is one of their pet names for each other which in English means, “only one.” In an Instagram video, Kathryn was excitedly running towards Daniel before they tightly hugged each other in front of everybody.

May 2019: Kathryn and Daniel went to Morocco for their 7th anniversary as a couple.

It was one of their romantic couple’s travels that they openly shared with the world. The Internet gushed over Kathryn and Daniel’s adorable and breathtaking travel photos from Morocco dated May 2019. Their photos looked like prenup pics already! The couple visited Volubilis, Chefchaouen, and the Sahara Desert among other beautiful tourist spots.

Kathryn also posted a super cheesy and heartwarming letter for Daniel. To cap it all off, Kath wrote, “Thank you for being my dream guy and my reality guy at the same time. Falling and staying in love with you is the best decision I’ve ever made. *heart emoji*”

August 2019: Daniel proved to be the most supportive boyfie to Kathryn.

Daniel and Kathryn are known to be back-to-back box office king and queen with their blockbuster films. In August 2019, it was Kathryn and Alden who bagged the highest-grossing film of all time in the Philippines with over P880 million total gross sales.

But it wasn’t a problem for Daniel, who came out extremely proud of his girlfriend. “Ang tagumpay niya ay tagumpay ko rin,” the actor said. He proves to be the type of partner who won’t ever clip Kath’s wings, for her to soar even higher than where they are right now.

October 2019: KathNiel in Iceland!

This trip was KathNiel’s well-deserved holiday together. Their Iceland vacation in October 2019 was Kath’s break after shooting Hello, Love, Goodbye. From cold mornings to majestic waterfalls to pink sunsets, the lovely couple experienced it all together. Their couple pics are giving us all the kilig vibes we need in life!

Watch Kathryn and Daniel’s magical Iceland trip here:

October 2019: Kathryn and Daniel became business partners.

In October 2019, Kathryn and Daniel opened their first business venture together, and it’s a barbershop called “Barbero Blues.”

Daniel who was delighted with their business, expressed his appreciation for his girlfriend for being open to his ideas. He saw their business as a sign of maturity and growth as a couple.

“Masaya. Sinasabi ko masaya dahil, you know, hindi lang kami nandoon lang sa mundo ng showbiz. Kundi meron na rin kami ganito sa labas. Ang ganda kasi growth din siya…Ang ganda na siya ang kasama ko pa sa ganitong venture. Nag-go-grow kami as individuals and as partners,” he happily declared.

April 2020: They opened up about their dream wedding.

Fast forward to April 2020, when Kathryn and Daniel talked about their dream wedding. As they both adore the beach, the couple wanted an intimate ceremony with all the people who have supported them all the way.

“Over the years kasi parating yung common na lugar na nagpapasaya sa amin [ay] yung dagat. Pareho kami na gusto yung wedding sa beach, kasama yung mga tao na tumulong kung paano maging kami ngayon,” Kath shared in an interview. Back then, the two have expressed that they’re eyeing to tie the knot in maybe four to five years.

In that same interview, Daniel revealed that he would get anxious whenever he felt jealous of other people being close to Kathryn, especially back when he was still courting her.

April 2020: Kathryn and Daniel navigate life during quarantine and ABS-CBN shutdown.

This couple survived a pandemic together. Amid the restrictions, they managed to stay in love and focused on their goals both as a couple and as individuals. In April 2020, Kathryn and Daniel had their reunion project, The House Arrest of Us, which is a 13-part online family series.

Aside from the pandemic, it was also the year when their home network, ABS-CBN, was denied renewal of their franchise which resulted in a widescale retrenchment and several Kapamilya shows signing off. Kathryn and Daniel were two of the many celebrities who stood up for the network despite the political fiasco.

In an interview, Kathryn pointed out how much loyalty she can give to the company that introduced KathNiel to the world. “Ito ‘yung way ko para pasalamatan ‘yung network sa kung ano ang meron ako ngayon. Lahat ng blessings na na-receive namin ni DJ (Padilla), dahil sa kumpanya. Ito ‘yung panahon na pinakakailangan nila kami. Hanggang kaya. Nag-stay kami, nakikipaglaban, hanggang makabangon ang ABS,” she proclaimed.

July 2020: Kathryn’s dad got candid about Daniel.

As Kathryn would always say, her dad is not always in the spotlight. But he’s always present in her life, especially when she and Daniel are still starting their relationship. Kath recalled the time when Daniel was still trying to gain her parents’s trust.

“Hindi overnight na-gain ni DJ trust ni mama and papa. It took him years,” Kath shared in a July 2020 vlog. “Kailangan ipakita ng lalaki yung intention niya sa babae. Na hindi lolokohin, at aalagan, kasi mafi-feel yun ng magulang. Feel ko ganun din akong magulang someday.”

Kath’s father, Teddy Bernardo openly talked about what he liked about Daniel, and how the actor’s attitude gave him the impression that he is a good guy. “Show of respect,” Kath’s father said when asked about Daniel’s way of earning his trust. “Alam niya yung lugar niya, hindi matanong, hindi mayabang, swabe lang. Natural.”

September 2021: The world celebrated KathNiel’s 10th Anniversary as a love team!

We want to believe that the world began healing when Kathryn and Daniel celebrated a decade of being a love team. The couple uploaded a one-and-a-half-hour vlog talking about all their milestones together and thanking their fans for being supportive throughout their journey.

“Today is the day. 10 years na tayong magkakasama. Grabe, tumanda tayo nang magkakasama and nandiyan pa rin kayo,” Kathryn said.

Watch KathNiel’s heartwarming tribute for their fans here:

January 2022: Daniel squashed cheating rumors. 

Interestingly, Daniel was earlier embroiled in a cheating scandal with another actress, Barbie Imperial. But the actor was quick to end all the rumors. Daniel had posted Instagram stories indicating his reaction to cheating rumors which he deemed to be “nonsense and irrelevant.”

The rumors began when Barbie was spotted with Karla Estrada, Daniel’s mother. Barbie and Karla were spending some time together inside their house.

May 2022: Kathryn and Daniel’s 2 Good 2 Be True teleserye comeback

A year after their 10th anniversary as a love team, it was time to celebrate their offscreen love for each other that had lasted for a decade already. What better way is there to celebrate a milestone aside from releasing their comeback teleserye called 2 Good 2 Be True.

Kathryn and Daniel made waves all around the world as their recent teleserye was readily made available via Netflix, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. It was indeed a memorable way of marking their 10th year together.

 

May 2022: Kathryn and Daniel had an unforgettable 10th-anniversary celebration in Thailand!

The lovers spent their 10th year together on a calming and incredible trip to Thailand in May 2022. Despite their busy schedule, the couple traveled to celebrate their 10th love team anniversary.

In a romantic message to her partner, Kathryn said, “You know how much this trip means to me and how much I looove elephants, so without a question, you agreed to do this again with me right away. All you said to me was ‘Kahit san mo gusto love, susunod ako after ng trabaho ko..'”

INSTAGRAM/BERNARDOKATH

May 2023: Kathryn caught a bridal bouquet and Daniel was so ready for it!

In May 2023, the couple attended Director Cathy Garcia-Molina’s wedding and Daniel also went home as a happy man after the wedding. His happiness was because Kathryn caught Direk Cathy’s bridal bouquet and he got the groom’s garter—which could mean that they’re next to get married.

Of course, KathNiel fans couldn’t help but feel *kilig* for the two, with some of them expressing excitement for the couple’s ~possible wedding~.

2023: KathNiel in their solo career era.

In 2023, Kathryn and Daniel stepped away from their love team for a while. The talented couple wanted to grow individually in their careers, doing their passion projects. Kathryn recounted how Daniel was also keen on doing unconventional films of his own.

“Siya [Daniel] din gusto niya gumawa which is a project he’ll be doing with Dan [Villegas] naman. So it was a personal choice for the both of us na we wanted to do something alone muna,” Kathryn shared.

 

Sept 2023: Daniel’s unwavering support for Kathryn’s soaring solo projects

ICYMI, Kathryn alongside Dolly De Leon top-billed one of the highest-grossing films of 2023, A Very Good Girl (AVGG). It was a project where most supporters saw Kathryn liberating from her usual kind and girl-next-door roles. And it’s something that the 27-year-old actress had been wanting to try for a very long time.

 

This year, they are both putting the spotlight on each other’s dreams and respective highs. Although Daniel couldn’t make it to the premiere night of Kathryn’s recent film, he was one proud boyfie as he posted AVGG’s official trailer on his Instagram feed. Daniel was in Spain for an important work schedule at the time.

September 2023: Kathryn and Daniel’s first solo walk at the ABS-CBN Ball red carpet

With the couple focusing more on their respective careers, they’ve also decided to savor their solo moments during this year’s ABS-CBN Ball. Fret not, they still partied together along with the industry’s biggest stars.

Kathryn had her shining moment alone with her ab-baring ensemble. She was definitely in her sultriest baddie phase and we’re loving it! Daniel walked after her looking super cool. He wore a statement distressed leather jacket paired with tailored pieces.

November 2023: Solo flights and breakup rumors—again.

After the ABS-CBN Ball 2023, it has been a while since the two were spotted together. Breakup rumors surfaced and some suspect that there was an alleged third party.

But, Daniel, once again, was quick enough to prove that Kath is still his girlfriend. Daniel flaunted Kathryn’s most daring magazine cover yet on his Instagram! His subtle move is an attempt to shut down malicious rumors about their relationship.

November 30, 2023: Kathryn released a heartfelt statement confirming their breakup.

After weeks of speculations, Kathryn broke her silence in a heartfelt statement via Instagram. At 6:16PM the actress confirmed that she and Daniel have parted ways: “Chapter closed. I hope this finally helps all of us move forward. I won’t be entertaining questions regarding this anymore. Thank you for understanding,” she captioned her post.

Here is Kathryn’s full statement:

“I’ve been in showbiz for almost 21 years now, 12 years as the one-half of Kathniel, and 11 years as someone who loved Deej even behind the camera. I didn’t grow up in this industry constantly being controlled and dictated on. I was lucky to have had the best guidance and support system when I started my career and I’ve continuously worked hard to earn people’s trust. But since I became an adult, I took it upon myself to take charge of my own life—the projects I work on, the way I dress, the people I surround myself with. I’ve always tried to be my own person. I was encouraged to think for myself and decide for myself. Even when it comes to love.

Especially when it comes to love.

I promised to never lose myself in this industry, so I’ve always been as authentic to you as I can be. I know what many of you are thinking right now. I’m well aware of the rumors and speculations going around, and as hard as it is to put everything into words, I want you to hear it straight from me: It’s true that Deej and I have decided to part ways.

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. We grew up together, and saw many of those dreams become a reality—still together. That’s almost half of my life that I would never regret and would never trade for anything in the world. These are 11 years that brought me joy, adventure, and the feeling of being home. Years that taught me the real meaning of unconditional love and friendship. He knew me more than anyone else. He was my first boyfriend. He was my comfort zone. He was my person. I will always have love for him.

Like any other relationship, we tried our best to make it work. 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.

These past few months have been tough, but thank you for giving us the time we need to process the pain and finally face the elephant in the room. Our love story began with respect and ended with respect.

Kathniels, we know you are hurting, and trust me, this also hurts us both more than you can imagine. The last thing we want is for this family to break apart with everyone taking sides—please don’t. Deej and I will continue to support each other as we try to heal and move forward from this. We will continue to love you and make you proud, but we hope you understand that this is something we really need. We hope you can join us in this healing process and not let those precious memories go to waste. Kaya natin to.

Deej, you gave me 11 beautiful years and the kind of love that I will forever cherish. I will always be grateful for you.”

At 6:39PM Daniel also uploaded a statement on Instagram, captioning his post “Ikaw at ako.” The actor shared two photos, one of him and Kathryn wearing pajamas and playing in the snow, and the other a simple picture of Kathryn and her fur babies.

Here is Daniel’s full statement:

“11 years.
K [sunflower emoji] D
Pagibig.

Sa mundo, buhay at sa limitadong oras na tayo ay nandito, isang malaking biyaya ang pagmamahal. Ang mahalin ka. At mahalin mo.

Ang mga alaala natin ay laging kong baon sa aking puso at magiging liwanag sa mga madidilim kong araw.

Thank you for dancing with me during my highs and thank you for singing with me during my lows.

Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide.

Kathniels, maraming salamat sa pagmamahal ninyo. Maraming salamat sa napakagandang pinagsamahan natin. Hinding hindi namin ipagpapalit at hindi makukumpara kahit anong pang gawin nila. Hinding hindi nila pwedeng sirain yun. This is beyond show business. Pamilya kayo at mga kaibigan. Magiging mahirap pero kailangan natin yakapin ang kinabukasan.

I pray for us to grow, and heal.

Bal, ang pagmamahal ko sayo ay walang hanggan at walang katapusan.”