After seven years of being a love team, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla recently confirmed that they’ve been a couple for more than five years now. Fans weren’t surprised about the news, noting that their love story was obvious from the start. Maybe they’re right and their relationship has been unfolding before everyone’s eyes. After all, they have worked on several projects together and they’re not really that subtle with their social media posts. (Just keeping it real, guys.)
That said, we’ve rounded up some of their cute moments together that may be hints on their relationship. You can also share with us your favorite/s!
Working on their first film
Now, we can’t pinpoint the exact day and month of KathNiel’s relationship anniversary. But if you do the math, they probably became exclusive around 2013, the same year as their first solo movie Must Be Love.
The film has the well-loved “I’ve fallen for my best friend” storyline. It might be fitting for the two considering that they’ve been working together for around two years at that time and have gotten close.
“Partners”
After the premiere of She’s Dating the Gangster in 2014, the stars and the team held a victory party to celebrate its success. According to fansite KathNiel World‘s recounting of the party, this was when Daniel first said that he’s “partners” with Kathryn. Of course, in Philippine showbiz, that could mean anything from platonic to romantic—but fans probably shouted for joy nonetheless.
Openly talking about their love life
Kathryn once told reporters that she “cared for Daniel but would not commit to him” because of their difference in religion and they didn’t want their love life getting in the way of their careers. That pretty much confirmed their relationship at the time but several people still speculated if their relationship is for real or not.
A new puppy
KathNiel with their new baby! Snow, welcome to the family <3 DJ's gift for Kathryn's birthday 😀 pic.twitter.com/zx4BElzoff
— æ⁷ (@fgzone_) March 27, 2014
Kathryn is a dog lover and one of her furbabies was actually a gift from Daniel in 2014. The white dog named Snow was an 18th birthday gift and you might’ve seen it in some of Kathryn’s posts. Daniel told ABS-CBN News at the time that he was supposed to give her a golden retriever but someone already did that. So he opted for a smaller dog instead. Cute!
Kathryn’s debut
Of course Daniel was Kathryn’s escort during her special day back in 2014, fueling more kilig from KathNiel fans.
Exclusively dating with momma’s approval
Fast forward to 2016, the duo simply revealed that they’re “exclusively dating.” The duration was still a mystery then but Daniel emphasized that no one was going to get in the way of their relationship. Likewise, his mom, actress Karla Estrada, also approved of the relationship. She said that as long as they’re pulling each other up, it’s fine by her.
Body language
Last year, we spotted KathNiel at the front row of Bench Fashion Week and instantly noticed how Daniel would place his hand on Kathryn’s lap.
#FrontRow spotting: @bernardokath and @imdanielpadilla. 😉✨ #BenchFashionShow (Check out his hand on her lap 💘) pic.twitter.com/LHcj4KxQT4
— Preen.ph (@preenph) March 10, 2017
It’s the same in this promo clip posted on Kathryn’s Instagram account.
View this post on Instagram
If you want something more blatant, they did this cute chin kiss too.
The cheesy posts
The past few months showed some cheesy posts from Kathryn. One was when she declared that she was Daniel’s “wife” and the other was when she called dibs on him.
View this post on Instagram
That’s just some of them but we know eagle-eyed fans have screengrabbed more.
Pretend-wedding
Earlier today, designer Patricia Santos shared a photo of Kathryn and Daniel in their wedding attire. She designed Kathryn’s strapless gown with lace embroidery. “When you dream of marrying your first love,” she captioned, also noting that this was taken during Can’t Help Falling in Love (2017). It’s also timely because the couple talked about marriage after revealing their five-year relationship status. They’re serious, you guys.
Art by Marian Hukom
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