RICCI Rivero finally opened up on his breakup with actress Andrea Brilliantes, clearing the air on rumors swirling around the end of the high-profile relationship including viral allegations that he was caught with another girl in his condo.
Appearing in Boy Abunda's 'Fast Talk,' the former La Salle and UP Maroons standout said his relationship with Brillantes had been rocky in the months leading to the breakup, but insisted the separation was not because of a third party.
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“Marami na kaming sinubukang ayusin na problema. Personally, wala namang may mali ka sa ganito or may kasalanan ka whatsoever. Siguro lang sa the way we are with each other. Marami naman pwede siyang factors.”
Recently, there was a video making the rounds on social media of Brillantes allegedly catching Rivero with another woman in his condo. The former UP Fighting Maroon admitted the video was shot by Brillantes herself, but said it lacked context.
“Ilang beses na namin tong pinagusapan [ni Andrea], as in sobrang daming beses. Sinabi ko sa kanya with all the evidences I have, na hindi po sa akin yung girl. May pumunta ako na friend na midnight, or madaling araw, tapos hindi ko naman alam na may kasama siya. Tapos yun yung inabutan niya.”
Rivero said he and Brillantes were even able to patch things up after that night.
“Alam ko Tito Boy na naniniwala siya sa akin. Even after that, nagkikita-kita pa din kami. Yung usual us, na hindi kami nag-aaway o nag-tataasan ng boses.”
The cager also shot down allegations linking him and beauty queen turned Los Baños councilor Leren Bautista
“Wala po dito kinalaman si Councilor Leren. Wala po.”
The 25-year-old shared that he and Andrea have gone their separate ways for a couple of months now. As for the reason why they did not make their break up public, Rivero confessed that it was out of respect for his ex-partner.

“Madami na ang nasa isip namin, it’s a break up, so mabigat na yung nararamdaman namin. So, why add to it? Siguro naman, Tito Boy, na hindi kami naging madamot sa mga fans.
“Siguro sana maintindihan din ng fans na it wasn’t an easy way for us both to share to people na ganun ang nangyari sa amin.”
Here are other excerpts from the interview:
Ricci Rivero on finally breaking his silence:
“First of all Tito Boy, yung main reason na mag-speak up ako ngayon is because of my family. Kasi kung ako, wala naman problema, kasi sanay naman ako sa kwento and accusations. Kung ako kasi kaya kong tanggapin kasi hindi naman totoo. Pero kapag sa family ko, parang siguro it’s time for me to step up and kailangan ko silang protektahan sa mga issues na ganito. So yung akin lang, okay lang ako, 'wag lang yung pamilya ko.”
Ricci on the reason for their break-up:
"We took a little break from each other. Siguro kailangan lang namin ng konting breather. Then, yung real break-up namin was in May. Marami na kaming sinubukang ayusin na problema. Personally, wala namang may mali ka sa ganito or may kasalanan ka whatsoever. Siguro lang sa the way we are with each other. Marami naman pwede siyang factors. Could be, yung maturity levels namin pareho, it could be whatever reason na inaayos namin, na para sa akin normal lang sa relationship."
On rumors that he was caught by Andrea with another girl in his condo:
"'Uung kumakalat sa social media is may nakita siyang girl sa place ko. Pero ilang beses na namin tong pinagusapan, as in sobrang daming beses. Sinabi ko sa kanya with all the evidences I have, na hindi po sa akin yung girl. May pumunta ako ng friend na midnight, or madaling araw, tapos hindi ko naman alam na may kasama siyang babae. Tapos yun yung inabutan niya [Andrea]. Alam ko tito boy na naniniwala siya sa akin. Even after that, nagkikita-kita padin kami. Yung usual us, na hindi kami nag-aaway o nag-tataasan ng boses."
Ricci on alleged relationship with Councilor Leren Bautista:
"Wala po dito kinalaman si Councilor Leren. We met sa outreach noong May 26, noong birthday ko yun since ginagawa ko yung outreach every year. Galing po kasi ako ng province kasi dun ako nag-celebrate, tapos paluwas na ako dito; may mga common friends kasi kami, yung madalas ko pong kasama lately for the past year. So sinabi ko na baka pwede makapag-feeding program, dahil wala ako magawa kasi nasa byahe pa ako noon. As for the picture [shared by Bautista that went viral before it was taken down], naman po Tito Boy, late birthday celebration ko na yun with friends. Eto, yung outreach na was to help people. Tapos, yung picture na pinost, wala ka-deny deny na sa picture. Pero pag-post niya po, ang daming nag-bash. So siguro yung fear na ma misinterpret, kasi hindi pa out yung break-up namin, kaya she took the story down.
On rumors that he his in a homosexual relationship:
“Tito Boy, sobrang laki kasi ng respect ko sa LGBTQ, sobrang napapaligiran ako sa part ng community. Kasi, simula po noong pumasok ako sa industry na ito and even sa basketball, I look up to a lot of them, in terms of their personality and the way they carry themselves – na alam ko po na mataas yung respeto namin sa isa’t isa na hindi naman po aabot sa romantic relationship.”
And you’re straight? “Opo.”
On allegations that he used Andrea Brillantes as a “trophy girlfriend” to boost his showbiz career:
“Marami namang offers from ABS-CBN to do sit-down interviews and shows with her, pero simula po noong naging kami never akong nag yes, lahat po nag beg-off ako. Sa akin sobrang genuine yung lahat eh. Nawala sa isip ko yung mga bagay na yun. Minsan na nga lang ako mag-girlfriend, bakit pa sa ganyang paraan ko pa gagawin."
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