“To be honest, love teams are a phenomenon only created in the Philippines, only existing in the Philippines. And to box a woman like that is so dangerous actually for their mental health and also for their growth, not just as a professional but as an individual.” –Liza Soberano
It’s been nearly a year since the breakup of the popular Kathniel loveteam, three years since Jadine, and rumors suggest LizQuen quietly split two years ago. These breakups have sent shockwaves across the Philippines, with fans mourning like they’ve lost a close relative and pointing fingers in search of blame. From the perspective of the celebrities, what fans see is a devastating heartbreak, they see it as a newfound freedom.
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Fans have been head over heels by the onscreen chemistry of their favorite loveteams, believing in the perfect romantic partnerships they see in movies. Makes them forget that it’s all fictional and they’re just actors pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Fans really couldn’t see it, could they? The whole point of acting is to be in character, meaning not being themselves, and that includes love; it’s what they do for a living. However, the public’s desire for these pairs to be a couple off-screen puts immense pressure on them, creating a toxic environment where personal choice becomes secondary to fan expectations.
While some love teams might have developed feelings for each other to pair up in reality, who knows what happens off-screen? Possibilities are they are truly in love with each other. What if they wanted to end the relationship a long time ago but didn’t go with it because they didn’t want to let the fans down? Or it turns out they never had any feelings for each other but only went into the relationship for the sake of the media. This obsession with maintaining these loveteam pairings is like a prison, keeping actors from experiencing real-life relationships on their own terms.
We are supposed to explore another relationship after the other so that we can find which one is truly who we are meant to be with, and we are taking away that experience from these actors. Celebrities are as ordinary as non-celebrities. They deserve the right to choose who they can and can’t date without any constraints of public opinion.
For those loveteams who have gone their separate ways, you’re free now, date whoever you want, we won’t judge. Love is not a career—it’s a choice your heart desires.
