In the quiet aftermath of what was once a celebrated partnership, Rita Daniela has chosen reflection over recrimination.

Asked about her former love team partner Ken Chan, who is currently on hiatus, the actress drew a clear line—one shaped by honesty, grief, and faith.

“No, I don’t. We’re not friends anymore,” Rita said plainly when asked about their current relationship, signaling that the chapter has firmly closed.

Still, the distance has not erased her concern. Rita admitted she was pained and shocked upon learning of Ken’s reported legal troubles.

“Definitely, of course. He was my best friend. He was a very special person to me,” she said. “But, yeah… I hope na maging okay din siya. And his whole family niya. I’ll pray for him.”

The revelation unsettled her precisely because of how well she thought she knew him.

“When I knew it… because that’s something na parang—well, because I thought I knew him, you know?” she reflected.

She added that even knowing earlier would not have changed anything.

“Kahit malaman ko rin naman nang maaga, makakatulong ba ako? Parang hindi na naman din ata,” she said.

For Rita, the response was clear and deeply personal.

“So, I think the best thing that I can do for him right now is just to pray for him. That’s all. That’s it. That’s all. Pray lang talaga.”

Why the friendship didn’t last

Rita acknowledged that their history complicated their relationship.

“Dyusko, alam niyo naman yung mga past issues namin. Kayo na lang mang-connect the dots,” she said.

They attempted to move forward as friends, but the effort ultimately failed.

“But it just happens to be that… we’re not friends anymore. And I’m, of course, very sad with that,” she said.

There was even a time when their partnership could have extended beyond show business.

“Not yet, but I was about to,” Rita said when asked if she had considered investing with Ken. “We were actually going to be business partners.”

However, she clarified that more than business issues were involved.

“Hindi lang naman dahil sa business… nagkaroon din naman talaga kaming personal— not problem, but…”

Love, then and now

Rita also confirmed that what they shared was real.

“Totoo talaga—tunay, tunay,” she said. “Hindi ko naman ikinakaila na na-in love ako talaga sa kanya.”

Time, however, has allowed her to move on.

“Past is past,” she said, adding that she hopes Ken eventually finds happiness. “I just hope that he gets to find the person who will really, really love and accept him.”

Looking back, Rita acknowledged the years they spent building their careers together.

“Ilang taon din yun. Ilang taon naming pinaghirapan kung ano yung naabot namin together… and kami, of course, as best friends. He really was my best friend,” she said.

In the end, Rita’s stance is neither denial nor bitterness, but acceptance—grounded in prayer and the belief that sometimes the most compassionate act is letting go.