MANILA, Philippines – It’s official: Sam Milby and his then-fiancée Catriona Gray have split up.
At a media conference for the television airing of Saving Grace: The Untold Story, Sam confirmed during a side interview with ABS-CBN News that while he and Catriona are no longer together, they are “okay” and have no problem with each other.
Long before Sam’s confirmation, however, the public had already begun to speculate that the two had gone their separate ways. Here’s a timeline of their relationship:
December 2018: Sam posts a photo of Catriona’s Miss Universe 2018 win
Right after Catriona is crowned Miss Universe on December 17, 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand, Sam posts a photo of her wearing the crown, thanking her for raising the flag on behalf of all Filipinos.
“You truly deserve the [crown]. Congrats!!!” he wrote.
January 2019: Sam is spotted with Catriona and her dad
Shortly after Catriona’s Miss Universe win, a photo of Sam with Catriona and her dad goes viral. It is picked up by entertainment sites, prompting the two individuals’ management, Cornerstone, to address speculations that they are dating.
A Cornerstone manager says that the two are mere acquaintances and just happened to be in the same bible group. The manager also says that the photos were taken at his farm in Tanay, Rizal, which he coincidentally invited Sam and Catriona to visit on the same day.
February 2019: Catriona opens up on split with Clint Bondad
In a Tonight With Boy Abunda episode that aired on February 22, 2019, Catriona confirms that she and her longtime boyfriend Clint Bondad have parted ways after six years.
“When you’re together for so long and you started from a young age, you grow — whether that be in your personal or your career or whatever — and sometimes, you just kind of outgrow each other in a way. And if we’re meant to be together, maybe it will happen in the future,” she says.
She adds that she wants to enjoy being single for the time being.
December 2019: Catriona talks about her potential love interests
In an episode of Tonight with Boy Abunda from December 25, 2019, the beauty queen is asked about two men she is being linked to: Alden Richards and Sam Milby. She says that while she is aware that fans are “shipping” them together, she has never met Alden.
Meanwhile, she says that Sam is her friend as they go to the same church and are under the same management.
Abunda asks if she is in love, and she answers that she is “in love with the possibilities of a new chapter.”
May 22, 2020: Sam gushes over birthday greeting from Catriona
Months, later, on May 22, 2020 during a livestream with comedian Pooh and actor John Prats, Sam expresses his excitement over receiving a surprise birthday greeting from Catriona. He says that he wasn’t expecting her to greet him, admitting that he felt a sense of “kilig” (thrill) upon receiving the video message.
“I hope that you have an amazing year ahead. I wish you more birthdays, more happiness. You are loved by so, so many,” she says.
Prodded by John and Pooh to give her a message in return, Sam thanks her, and says she is “very, very special.”
May 23, 2020: Sam confirms his relationship with Catriona
On May 23, 2020, just a day after the livestream, the couple goes Instagram official as Sam posts a Polaroid photo of him and Catriona.
“Worth every second of the wait. Most special birthday yet,” he captions the post.
October 2021: Sam and Catriona go on an overseas trip together
In October 2021, the couple goes on an overseas trip to Mauritius, exploring the country together.
He posts a series of photos with her throughout the trip, referring to her as his Koala.
“Seen a lot of waterfalls but being at the top of one almost 200-feet high was an amazing different experience. So blessed to share this experience with you,” Sam captions one of his posts.
In the photo, he and Catriona sit atop a waterfall.
February 2023: Sam and Catriona are engaged
On February 16, 2023, Sam announces his engagement to Catriona through a photo of the two of them holding coffee cups that say “Mr. Milby” and “Future Mrs. Milby.” Catriona is wearing a ring.
“I finally put a ring on it! I love you forever my koala… now my [fiancée],” he writes.
The next day, he posts more photos of them together, calling Catriona his “ride or die.”
February 2024: Ogie Diaz claims Sam and Catriona have parted ways
In an Ogie Diaz Showbiz Update vlog on February 4, 2024, entertainment insider Ogie Diaz alleges that Sam and Catriona are no longer together. He brings up several photos where the 2018 Miss Universe is not wearing her engagement ring.
Ogie then says that somebody tipped him off about the pair’s alleged split, adding that his source says that when Catriona celebrated her birthday in January that year, they were no longer together and were just friends.
May 2024: Catriona takes down engagement posts from her social media
In May 2024, fans begin to notice that the beauty queen had taken down the photos she posted with Sam on her Instagram account. Sam, however, still has all his posts with Catriona up.
November 2024: Breakup speculations are further fueled
Breakup speculations are fueled when their management, Cornerstone, posts a photo of Sam, Catriona, and other artists under the same label on a plane en route to Canada for the Cornerstone All-Star Concert.
Sam is seated with John Prats, while Catriona is seated alone.
February 2025: Sam finally confirms split with Catriona
Sam confirms to ABS-CBN News that he and Catriona have split up. He clarifies, however, that they are okay and have no problem with each other.
The Everything About My Wife actor also clears up rumors that their breakup was due to a third party, which many had thought to be singer-songwriter Moira Dela Torre, who he had been “very close” to.
“There was never a third party sa amin ni Cat. That needs to be cleared. There is no truth to it at all. It makes me sad. May babala ako sa mga tao: please mag-ingat kayo sa mga nakikita ‘nyo sa online. If there’s no evidence, ‘wag niyong paniwalaan ‘yung nakikita ‘nyo because in this incident, there’s absolutely no truth to it at all,” he told ABS-CBN News.
(There was never a third party between me and Cat. That needs to be cleared. There is no truth to it at all. It makes me sad. I have a warning to people: please be careful with the things you see online. If there’s no evidence, don’t believe what you see because in this incident, there’s absolutely no truth to it at all.)
He adds that he and Dela Torre are no longer friends, and says that the reason behind it is “very sensitive.”
Catriona has yet to speak up on the breakup herself. – Rappler.com