Love is a many complicated thing

After departures for the life hereafter, separation of sweethearts is the sudden trend in Pinoy showbiz.

It’s practically unquestionable that Kyline Alcantara and Kobe Paras have called it quits.

Though they themselves have not admitted it, they have denied it. Not even with one word for their fans’ sake. Would it hurt anyone if they admitted that love remains aflame between them?

Now suspected of having detached themselves from each other, too, are Cristine Reyes from Marco Gumabao, and Sofia Andres from non-showbiz boyfriend Daniel Miranda. 

As the observed trend among young (but not teens) lovers now, they don’t categorically announce their detachments. They simply unfollow each other in their social media and sharp-eyed fans immediately notice the unfollowing and announce it to the world at large. Soon, some of the lovers come up with cryptic, poetic quotes about unfaithfulness and thrashed vows.  

Only Kathryn Bernardo and Barbie Forteza had been forthright through social media about giving up their longtime boyfriends, Daniel Padilla and Jak Roberto, respectively, many moons ago. 

It’s practically unquestionable now that the heat of summer melted the sweetness between  Alcantara and Paras. Netizen yarns now claim that the couple separated way before Alcantara unfollowed Paras.

The latter’s dad, comedian Benjie Paras, initially denied the break-up and even asserted having had a drinking spree with the son and the girlfriend some days before the social media unfollowing was spotted. 

But more recently, when pursued by some website columnists for an update on his son Kobe’s romance with Alcantara, the dad suddenly declared that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with his sons’ love affairs (celebrity cage-actor Andre Paras is his son, too, though this one doesn’t expose on social media his dates with whoever) since they’re all adults and don’t even live with him anymore. 

Andre even castigated the girl who posted pictures of Kobe having fun with some girls, none of whom was Alcantara. Kobe asserted that those girls are sweethearts of Kobe’s friends and their respective boyfriends are in the pics, too, though unidentified. Andre demanded that the girl vlogger take down her posts. Scared, she did. Which is, of course, a useless things to do with “damaging” posts these days because as soon as such posts appear, some pesky netizens take a screenshot for future use in their profitable vlogs.

It has been insinuated though that the reason Alcantara and Paras couldn’t admit turning cold on each other is their endorsement deals as a couple. 

As for Reyes and Gumabao detaching from each other, may or may not have to do with Gumabao seeking to be voted representative of the fourth district of Camarines Sur. If Gumabao is not feeling iike a winner it is because he is associated with a girlfriend who is a single mother, it’s almost too late to break up with her to earn more votes to assure his victory.

Sometime in August 2024, Reyes suddenly froze her Instagram, prompting some netizens to air their suspicion that the actress did it to avoid Gumabao, although others turned to Reyes’ older sister, actress Ara Mina, for clarification about Reyes’ mysterious move.

Mina blithely replied that Reyes simply wanted to concentrate on her role in her movie  she was busy with at that time: The Kingdom, an entry in last year’s festival top-billed by Vic Sotto and Piolo Pascual. 

By late August, Reyes revived her Instagram by greeting Gumabao and her biological dad on their birthdays. 

Recently, though, she suffered the loss of her foster father, and it might be for that grieving that she decided to freeze her Instagram. Quite mysteriously, Gumabao reacted by unfollowing  Reyes. 

Meanwhile, Andres expressed her decision to unfollow boyfriend Miranda through a series of cryptic though poetic postings. Here’s a sample that begins elliptically: “... only to realize some souls aren’t meant to stay — they pass through like seasons, loud with storms, soft with sun. And still… with all the love in me, I opened the door wide and watched the wind carry you gently away…”

Andres and Miranda have a child between them, though they have never posted wedding photos. Some wags suspect that Miranda’s wealthy family is not in favor of having Andres as their legitimate daughter-in-law. 

So, who is holding fort on the Pinoy showbiz love boat? 

Some happy couples are, and one such is Sue Ramirez and Dominic Roque. The ex-fiance of Bea Alonzo has introduced Ramirez who has rebounded from a break up of a five-year relationship with Victoria’s City Mayor Javi Benitez to his (Roque’s) family. They accepted her cheerily. 

Ramirez practically roared to media people recently, “Sure na ‘to!” referring to her well-exposed romance with Roque. 

Benitez seems to have no time for romance as he is seeking election as representative of the third 3rd district of Negros Occidental.

Long-married couple Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes remain happy together. And so are Dingdong — the singer Avanzado — with wife singer Jessa Zaragoza. 

Even the children of the departed superstar Nora Aunor are happy in their conjugal partnership with non-showbiz spouses. Aunor’s ex, actor Christopher de Leon, seems blissful with inactive actress wife Sandy Andolong. 

Let things be. Let it be! The relatively young lovers who have broken up are known to be in good mental and emotional dispositions. They will surely fall in love again with whomever, wherever.