MANILA, Philippines – During a press conference on July 12, actress Maris Racal admitted that she and OPM icon Rico Blanco were no longer together.
“Anthony is out of the picture. It’s just me and Rico. Mainly me, I’m the issue,” Maris said, attempting to dispel rumors that her Can’t Buy Me Love co-star was involved in her breakup.
In an ambush interview in late November, Anthony later confirmed his split with non-showbiz ex-girlfriend Jamela “Jam” Villanueva. Again trying to debunk rumors of his and Maris’ alleged blossoming romance, Anthony stressed that he and the Sunshine actress are just friends, pleading for the public to respect both parties.
For months, netizens had already been speculating that Anthony and Maris’ relationship extended offstage. These were fueled further by details some eagle-eyed social media users were able to catch, such as the onscreen pair’s matching shoes during their trip to Italy in September to film the upcoming action-drama series Incognito. However, Maris said it was a mere coincidence.
The following month, in October, netizens were left puzzled by Jam’s cryptic breakup posts and reposts, which further fueled speculation about the true nature of Maris and Anthony’s relationship.
Despite the growing speculation, Maris and Anthony stood by their statements, maintaining that they were not involved in each other’s breakups. That was, until Jam made a big reveal on December 3 about the her side of the story in her breakup with Anthony, and Maris’ alleged involvement in it.
Given the messy turn of events, here’s a timeline revisiting Maris and Anthony’s respective past relationships, and how the two eventually became intertwined.
Maris Racal and Rico Blanco
Maris started out as a fan of Rico. In August 2017, she posted on X wondering when she’d hear the Rivermaya frontman perform live.
Hay Rico Blanco when will I hear you sing live. ❤️
— Maris Racal (@MissMarisRacal) August 5, 2017
The following month, Maris received a surprise birthday video greeting from Rico.
#HappyBirthdayMarisRacal from a guy whose songs you always sing – Mr. Rico Blanco! 😄😎@MissMarisRacal pic.twitter.com/kmSfs7IWhX
— Alco Guerrero (@Alco_Guerrero) September 22, 2017
Her fangirling continued, even greeting the OPM icon on his 45th birthday in 2018, saying, “Would [you] sing ‘Balisong’ on my wedding day?” Rico replied, saying that he would sing both “Balisong” and “Your Universe.”
Happy Birthday @ricoblanco !!
Ps. Would u sing Balisong on my wedding day?— Maris Racal (@MissMarisRacal) March 17, 2018
In December 2018, Maris finally got the chance to meet Rico, whom she referred to as her “idol.” She shared a photo with him on her Instagram page, saying, “Abot langit ang ngiti (My smile reaches the heavens).”
After their first meeting in December 2018, Maris shared a snippet of a songwriting session where Rico played the piano while she sang an unreleased song she had written in her notebook.
A few months later, Maris and Rico released their first collaboration, “Abot Langit.” Rico wrote about their collaboration on an Instagram post, describing the song as a “gorgeous pop nugget,” and credited Maris for the main idea, hook, and vocals.
The pair continued their collaboration after the first release with a “Ricovered” version of the song. In September 2020, they also released their second collaboration, “Not For Me.”
After Maris’ fangirling moments, their meetings, and successful collaborations, one of Maris’ posts from March 2021 sparked relationship rumors with Rico. She shared a solo shot of Rico and a video of them singing together. She simply captioned the post: “Hi Rico. Happy birthday.”
In May 2021, the actress then openly shared the real score between her and Rico during a media conference for Maalaala Mo Kaya.
“Kami po ni Rico. I think, basing po sa post na ginawa ko, very obvious na po (Rico and I are a couple. I think, based on the post I made, it’s very obvious),” Maris said.
Anthony Jennings and Jam Villanueva
On the other hand, while there aren’t many public details about Anthony and Jam’s relationship, Jam gave fans a glimpse into their dynamic through several TikTok videos. In one clip, she joined the “how they say ‘I love you’ without saying ‘I love you’” trend, showcasing some of Anthony’s romantic gestures.
In another now-deleted video, she shared photos of her accompanying Anthony to the dentist after the actor said he didn’t want to go without her.
They would make frequent appearances in each other’s social media posts.
In past interviews, Anthony said that Jam fully supported what would later be his love team with Maris. Anthony even shared that Jam expressed kilig for his onscreen chemistry with the actress.
Jam and Anthony were together for almost seven years before they broke up, with Jam saying that Anthony was a part of many of her firsts in life.
The rise of ‘SnoRene’
In October 2023, Can’t Buy Me Love began airing on Netflix. While the show was led by prominent onscreen couple Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano, who play Bingo and Ling, another love team caught the eye of viewers: “SnoRene,” played by Maris and Anthony.
Aside from power love team DonBelle, the undeniable chemistry between SnoRene became a quick hit, with their iconic, off-the-script banters and witty exchanges captivating fans.
Snoop, the kindhearted and humorous best friend of Bingo, and Irene, a dramatic and complex character hailing from a privileged world, find themselves intertwined despite their vastly different backgrounds. Their dynamic unfolds through moments of bickering and tension, showcasing how two seemingly opposite personalities can spark connections.
From their breakout roles and newly established love team, the pair’s fame rose, enabling them to secure endorsement deals, guestings, and TV appearances left and right. Their rising star power also led them to join the star-studded cast of Vice Ganda’s Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 entry, And The Breadwinner Is…
When Maris and Anthony were cast in Can’t Buy Me Love, both actors had relationships of their own. Maris was with Rico, and Anthony was with Jam, a non-showbiz individual.
However, their love team took a dramatic turn on December 3 when Jam revealed flirty text messages between Anthony and Maris on her Instagram stories.
Jam’s revelation
On her Instagram stories, Jam shared screenshots of private messages between Maris and Anthony. Jam explained that her intention was not to relive the past or cause more pain, but rather, to speak her truth and protect her loved ones who had been dragged into the controversy. Her revelation aimed to set the record straight and offer clarity amid the rumors.
A week before Maris’ confirmation of her breakup with ex-boyfriend Rico, the screenshots shared by Jam revealed Maris asking Anthony Jennings to delete their conversations. “Someday ‘di na kailangan (Someday, we won’t need to anymore),” Maris’ text read.
Jam shared that when she confronted Anthony about how she felt regarding his relationship with Maris offscreen, the actor insisted that everything was for professional work and that it was just “method acting.”
Even after the confrontation, Jam saw in Anthony’s call history that he continued to do phone and video calls with Maris. Anthony claimed that the calls were necessary to maintain a professional and positive working relationship with Maris. “After that day, they continued talking to each other. I just let it be because nagtitiwala ako sa kanila (I trusted them),” Jam wrote.
In another screenshot, Jam shared Anthony’s response when asked why he let things happen after being pulled into the comfort room and making out with Maris. “Ayoko lang maramdaman niya na parang ayaw ko siya kasi may trabaho kami bukas (I just don’t want her to feel like I don’t want her. We have work tomorrow),” Anthony claimed, explaining that he didn’t want Maris to feel rejected.
Several exchanges of raunchy and sweet conversations alike were also revealed in the screenshots Jam posted, which took place from July until September.
After a lock-in taping in Palawan, the actor headed to Italy with Maris to work on another production. Jam said she and Anthony were doing okay then, and she even helped him pack his bags for the trip.
“Okay naman kami nung Italy. May moment pa nga na nag-iyakan kami sa video call because we were trying to figure out what was really going on (We were okay when they were in Italy. There was even a moment we cried during the call because we were trying to figure out what was really going on),” Jam wrote.
She also shared that they were both overwhelmed with stress, but Anthony reassured her that he would fix things when he returned home.
When the photo from Maris’ birthday went viral, Anthony asked Jam to make her social media accounts private. In the screenshots, Jam resisted, saying that doing so would make her “look stupid.”
Jam also attached photos of the onscreen couple cozying up to each other and even exchanging kisses. The non-showbiz individual expressed that these images shattered her as she had to endure everything alone while being attacked by the actors’ fans.
In response to netizens’ reaction to her cryptic reposts, Jam explained that she “ended things with him as peacefully as [she could] but [she] was hurt and devastated.”
Maris entered showbiz at the age of 16 as a housemate of ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother, while Anthony made his acting debut as a supporting character in Hello, Love, Goodbye. The two are starring alongside each other in the ABS-CBN teleserye, Incognito, and are also part of the MMFF 2024 entry, And the Breadwinner Is… – Rappler.com
Zach Dayrit is a Rappler intern studying BS Psychology at the Ateneo de Manila University.