Actor James Reid firmly ruled out reuniting with ex-girlfriend Nadine Lustre as a love team, explaining that he wants to respect his current relationship with Issa Pressman.

In a recent interview with Ogie Diaz, Reid was asked about the potential for a project with Lustre, emphasizing that their love team, “JaDine,” still has a strong following.

“No! Hahahahaha! I don’t think that’s happening,” James said with a laugh. “There’s still that undying support that I’m always grateful for, even as I transition to music. Nandoon pa rin sila [fans] (They’re still there) to promote my music and support. But out of respect for my girlfriend, Issa, I don’t think I’ll ever do another love team.”

This announcement may disappoint many fans of the former love team “JaDine.” However, there is a silver lining: the actor-musician assured fans he will soon accept new projects, prioritizing his musical career first.

His decision follows “depressive episodes” caused by the criticism he and his current girlfriend face due to his breakup with Nadine, which he said weighed heavily on him and their relationship.

“I just wanted to focus on music first because at that time, I felt like being in a love team was making me lose my identity. I think it’s something everyone goes through at some point in their lives; you need a drastic change, and I felt that switching from acting to music was the kind of change I needed,” the Careless Music founder said.

“Through music, it’s very personal. I need to write my own songs and produce them. Lahat ng kwento galing sa akin (All the stories come from me). It’s very personal, and I’ve discovered a lot about myself,” he added. “But I’m excited to act again, most likely early next year.”

This is great news for fans of the “Randomatic” singer, who has faced several hurdles this year, including being scammed by his close friend and former business partner, Careless chief executive officer Jeffrey Oh, and losing his agency’s biggest star, Liza Soberano.

He expressed that he and Pressman are happy together and wish Nadine well in her relationship with her long-term boyfriend, Filipino-French entrepreneur Christophe Bariou.

Respect

After the interview, James faced a backlash from netizens who pointed out the irony of his statement about respect, given the allegations of his cheating on Nadine.

“Respect?! Saan ang respect na yan (Where is that respect) when you [were] caught kissing that snake [Issa] while in a relationship with Nadine?!” expressed X user @HuntyVibes.

“Cheater at user ang gago (what a jerk),” replied another X user @CathyYu26248332.

Despite the backlash and cheating allegations, Reid affirmed that he and Lustre “have no problem with each other” and that he also dated someone else before Pressman.

“Sana (I hope) people can move on from all of that, I have to say. And to be honest, witnessing all the bashing, nakaka-depress (is quite depressing)! I hope people can move on and just give us peace of mind,” James requested of JaDine fans.