ACTRESS Maris Racal shared the status of her relationship with Original Pinoy Music (OPM) singer Rico Blanco, confirming that they parted ways.
The 26-year-old Kapamilya actress emotionally confirmed this in a press conference on Friday, July 12.
“I’m so scared ‘cause if I announce it, then it’s real. Rico and I are over,” Racal said. “It’s fresh, it’s been a few weeks. [It has been the] loneliest, emptiest weeks I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Racal did not detail the reason behind the split but said that it was probably because she had “turned to the next page and saw a new perspective [in] life.”
“I had visions of who I want to become, how I want to evolve. I’m so curious about the world, and the truth is, I am going through changes,” said the “Can’t Buy Me Love” actress.
She continued, “Alam naman natin yung change is either good or bad. But what I hate about change is that it’s inevitable—‘di mo siya matatakasan. And wala ka nang [pwedeng] ibang gawin kundi you have to face it and confront it kasi it’s been in the back of my head.”
Racal shared that she told Blanco about her challenges and he “took it like a man.”
“It was a very difficult talk ‘cause I love him so much. I love him and he loves me, but I have so many questions about my life and how will I go on sa buhay with him. I have so many questions about me, my sense of self,” she said.
It was a “difficult” yet “very polite” separation, she added.
Racal described their five-year relationship as “beautiful,” and that it was “full of love, laughter, music, [and] spontaneity.”
“Sa five years namin together, we were always on the same page. Always on the same page,” she said.
She emphasized that their relationship still ended with “full of love” and “understanding,” describing the 51-year-old former Rivermaya frontman as “one of a kind.”
The ex-couple’s connection could be traced as far back as 2018, when Racal was planning to venture into the music industry. At that time, the actress posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she was looking for a “creativity partner” who could help her with her music.
Since it is public knowledge that she’s a fan of the rockstar, a netizen tagged Blanco on her post, to which the “Antukin” singer replied, “G!”
Racal and Blanco then made their relationship public in June 2021. The two faced criticisms due to their 25-year age gap, but Racal had said they were not “bothered” by their age difference.
The actress has a new project with actor Anthony Jennings, following their successful tandem, popularly known as “SnoopRene,” in the 2023 series “Can’t Buy Me Love.”
Meanwhile, Blanco had a reunion show with Rivermaya in February 2024 that brought nostalgia to 90s and early 2000s kids.
