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Filipino actress and singer Maris Racal came forward about her side of the story amid the highly sensationalized cheating controversy involving her and her Can't Buy Me Love co-star Anthony Jennings. This came days after Jam Villanueva, Jennings' ex-girlfriend, accused him of cheating on her with Racal. The pair dated for seven years before breaking up sometime in 2024.
On December 3, 2024, Villanueva took to Instagram to issue a statement addressing the affair, saying she wanted to "set the record straight" by sharing her truth. She also posted several screenshots of alleged intimate text threads between them, including photos of them seemingly kissing.
On December 6, Maris Racal addressed the controversy in an exclusive 14-minute interview with ABS-CBN News. She apologized for her part in the infidelity, admitting she made a mistake getting involved with Jennings.
5 major revelations from Maris Racal's exclusive interview amid her cheating scandal
1) Maris Racal claimed to be in a "very dark place" when she got involved with Anthony Jennings
In her exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, the 27-year-old Filipino actress began by apologizing for her involvement with Anthony Jennings and the ensuing scandal, adding that she wanted to take responsibility for her actions. She claimed to be "in a very dark place" then, saying:
"I was lonely, and I was getting attention from Anthony. It was the kind of attention I needed at the time."
Maris Racal said the timeline of events began in June 2024, when the two were working together on their action series Incognito.
2) Maris Racal "came clean" to her then-boyfriend Rico Blanco about her "brewing attraction" towards Jennings
Maris Racal had been dating singer Rico Blanco for five years, making their relationship public in May 2021. On July 12, 2024, Racal revealed in an interview that she had ended her relationship with Blanco.
In her recent interview, Racal claimed she "came clean" to Blanco about her growing attraction towards her Can't Buy Me Love co-star.
"I knew it was wrong. I came clean right away. I told my ex everything and admitted my mistakes," Racal said.
She also said the breakup was "not easy," adding she was "holding back the truth" when the news went public.
"We broke up, which was not easy for me. Announcing the breakup was very hard. When I gave that emotional interview, I was holding back the truth. I wasn't able to fully reflect on what was happening," Racal said.
3) Racal said Jennings claimed he was single before the two started their relationship
During her interview, Maris Racal said she told Jennings about her breakup with Rico Blanco, adding she was in a very "vulnerable and lonely place" at the time. She claimed her co-star told her he was also single.
The actress said she "fell" for her co-star while filming Incognito, adding he was "very sweet."
"He would be very sweet to me. He would be such a gentleman to me. He would say things to me. He would tease me on the set in front of other people. He would tell all the people who were close to me that he was single. I was confident to act a certain way around him on the set. Because in the eyes of the people there, we were both single," Racal said.
She added their connections "deepened" in September during their shoots in Italy when she posted an Instagram Story after a date on her birthday. Racal said Jennings "said sweet things and made promises" while they were stuck in an airport on their way back.
4) Maris Racal asked Anthony Jennings to go public about their relationship
A few days after she posted Anthony Jennings on her Instagram Story, Maris Racal said she saw a few "cryptic" TikTok posts from Jennings' ex-girlfriend, Jam Villanueva. These posts led to Racal asking if he was still in a relationship with Villanueva, which he allegedly denied.
In her interview, Maris Racal said she had asked Jennings to issue a public statement about their relationship and his breakup with Villanueva after the "first wave of bashing" against her emerged on social media. She said her co-star was reluctant to do so, claiming he was waiting for the "right moment."
"At those times, I begged for a statement. I begged him to fix this because I was so tired of getting bashed. And he said, wait. He's waiting for the right moment," Racal said.
Jennings revealed his breakup with Villanueva in November 2024 when he was doing press for Incognito. But Racal claimed it was "too late," adding she had been "slowly distancing from him romantically."
5) Maris Racal said she was "gutted" when Jam Villanueva posted her intimate conversations with Anthony Jennings
The Filipino actress said she was "embarrassed" and "gutted" when Jennings' ex-girlfriend posted screenshots of her text threads with her co-star. She apologized to the public for showing a "very intimate side of [hers]."
She also said the screenshots provided the "perfect narrative," adding:
"It was the perfect narrative… That there was this other woman, that there was this apologetic boyfriend, and the avoidant boyfriend towards the other woman, and the scorned woman. That's the narrative. That's her side of the story. And there's nothing wrong with that. This is my side."
Maris Racal concluded the interview by acknowledging the "anger and wrath" that Villanueva felt, adding both women had been "clueless" about everything. She also apologized to everyone who supported her, adding she was "far from being perfect."
In other news, Anthony Jennings also issued a statement following the cheating scandal, apologizing to Maris Racal and Jam Villanueva for his actions. Jennings and Racal will reunite onscreen for their upcoming movie, And the Breadwinner Is…, scheduled for release this Christmas.
