IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A timeline of Andrea Brillantes and Ricci Rivero’s romance

When Ricci Rivero had a surprise proposal to ask Andrea Brillantes to be his girlfriend, it seemed as though the public had set their eyes on the couple—with some rooting for their relationship and some doubting if it’ll last. 

As a pair who both went public with their relationships for the first time, Brillantes and Rivero quite seized their freedom through public displays of their romance. Regrettably, their relationship reached the end of its run with Rivero’s recent confirmation of their breakup.

While the public appears to still be speculating over the cause of the split, here’s a timeline of what had been between Brillantes and Rivero. 

April 2021: ‘Totropahin’

Brillantes took on a “Jojowain o Totropahin” challenge wherein Rivero was one of the celebrities she was asked to label under the boyfriend or the friendzoned-department. The actress clarified that although she had not met him at the time, she would only want him as a friend because of the apparent reputation he has as a basketball player. 

“Kasi ‘di ba ‘pag basketball player, manloloko daw,” Brillantes argued. 

March 2022: Brillantes, Rivero spotted together

Dating speculations then hounded the pair after multiple sources claimed that they saw Brillantes and Rivero together at a restaurant and a bar in Taguig.

Aside from this, a video of Brillantes wearing a UP Fighting Maroons jersey with the number 25 made rounds on social media. Twenty-five was also Rivero’s jersey number, which led fans to think that the jersey the actress was wearing was Rivero’s. 

April 2022: Brillantes says yes to Rivero

The public was surprised when the basketball player made a surprise proposal to ask Brillantes to be his girlfriend. After his University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) game, Rivero went to the announcers area and addressed Brillantes who was in the bleachers. 

“Can I ask Blythe (Brillantes’ real name) to be my girlfriend?” he asked over the microphone while two persons stood beside the actress, each holding a shirt printed with a “YES” and “NO.”

Rivero came home with two wins that night: a triumph over his basketball game and a “yes” from Brillantes.

Over a month after they became official, Rivero said that he and Brillantes clicked with each other because they have so much in common.

“What we have is real,” he noted.

Andrea Brillantes and Ricci Rivero. Image: Instagram/@blythe

September 2022: Rivero declares Brillantes as ‘the one’ for him

Five months into their relationship, the basketball player revealed that he already saw the actress as “the one” for him. During an interview with King of Talk Boy Abunda, Rivero opened up about his first public romance and admitted that he was “so in love” with Brillantes.

“Is she the one? Is Andrea the one?” the TV host asked, to which Rivero responded, “I think, Tito Boy, yes.”

Rivero also confessed that he felt sure of Brillantes even before they became a couple and were just in the process of getting to know each other.

October 2022: Brillantes admits making first move on Rivero

The pair recalled their first meeting—which happened at a club—as well as their first impression of each other, with Brillantes describing her then-boyfriend as “mayabang” (arrogant) and “suplado” (snob). Although the encounter didn’t go well, Brillantes followed Rivero on Instagram after a few days then apparently replied to one of the basketball player’s Instagram Stories about astrology. 

Brillantes also revealed that Rivero already reached out to her when she was still doing the ABS-CBN TV series “Kadenang Ginto,” but that she did not reply to his message. The actress added that she never thought she would date Rivero because he posed a lot of “red flags.”

March 2023: Brillantes’ ‘promposal’ to Rivero at Blackpink concert

Rivero was not the only one with striking proposals up his sleeve as Brillantes also pulled such off to ask the former to be her “Star Magical Prom” date, with the help of none other than K-pop girl group Blackpink. 

The quartet, who were in the Philippines at the time for their two-day concert, were talking to their fans when one of the members, Rosé, noticed Brillantes waving a yellow poster in the crowd. 

“Just want to ask Ricci Rivero, will you go to prom with Andrea?” Rosé read the poster, eliciting cheers from the audience as well as support from other Blackpink members Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa. Brillantes and Rivero were then flashed on the big screen, with the latter nodding his head as a “yes.”

Brillantes described the “promposal” and her brief interaction with Blackpink as “the best 2 to 3 minutes of [her] life,” saying she felt like she won the lottery. 

Ricci Rivero and Andrea Brillantes. Image: Instagram/@blythe

Meanwhile, some netizens pointed out the apparent “curse” Rosè has on couples, claiming that those who took a photo or perhaps interacted with the K-pop star will end up parting ways with their significant others. 

While there’s no logical reason that supports this wild claim, it has been circulating among fans of the K-pop group and was once again brought up after the recent Rivero and Brillantes’ split.

April 2023: Brillantes, Rivero’s first anniversary

The pair marked their first anniversary as a couple by going on a dinner date at a bubble dining pod. Brillantes seemed sentimental during the occasion as she enjoyed their date while wearing the “yes” shirt she picked when Rivero asked her to be his girlfriend.

At the time, Brillantes and Rivero also received a lot of support from their fans who wished for the pair’s relationship to last long. 

(From left) Andrea Brillantes, Ricci Rivero. Images: Instagram/@blythe

June 2023: Rivero announces their breakup

Fans were shocked after the basketball player released a statement saying he and Brillantes have ended their relationship. Rivero did not immediately disclose the cause of the split, but he appealed to the public to respect their decision to keep the breakup private and “preserve what’s left of [their] friendship.

He further asked the public to refrain from making “false accusations” and “dragging other characters” into it, which was seemingly in response to speculations that he cheated on Brillantes. 

The cheating accusations apparently stemmed from an Instagram Story of Rivero, wherein he shared a photo of himself taken and posted by beauty queen-turned-politician Leren Mae Bautista. It can also be noted that Rivero spent his birthday last May 25 with Bautista in Los Baños, where the latter serves as a municipal councilor.

Image: Instagram/@lerenmaebautista via @ricciiirivero

Brillantes has yet to publicly speak up on the split as of this writing. EDV

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