Direk Joyce Bernal confirms Marian-Dingdong real-life romance

CEBU, Philippines - Widely rumored but never confirmed, GMA 7 primetime television stars Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes are in a romantic relationship, as finally revealed by director Joyce Bernal.

The hit-making TV and movie director has helmed the primetime projects of the very popular Marian-Dingdong loveteam since its inception: from “Marimar” to “Dyesebel” to “Ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Aking Tadyang.” Direk Joyce also directed Dingdong in the forthcoming comedy film “Kimmy Dora (Ang Kambal sa Kiyeme)” starring Eugene Domingo, and will soon direct the actor minus Marian for the very first time since “Marimar” in the upcoming primetime soap “Stairway to Heaven.”

In an exclusive interview with The FREEMAN Entertainment yesterday at the “Kimmy Dora” presscon held in Castle Peak Hotel, Direk Joyce said that more than just witnessing how a real-life romance developed between the two, she saw how the two stars tried to suppress their special feelings towards each other.

She began to sense something romantic going between them when she returned to GMA 7 after directing the KC Concepcion-Richard Gutierrez starrer “For The First Time,” which was released under Star Cinema August of last year. Around that time, Direk Joyce was still directing Marian and Dingdong in their second soap together, “Dyesebel.”

Rumors of a mutual attraction then of being an item began to surface way back during “Marimar” days, but a categorical confirmation or anything remotely close to it was never made. Marian and Dingdong have continuously played coy about the status of their relationship in media interviews to this day.   

It will also be remembered that Marian courted controversy when she was alleged to be the cause of the high-profile breakup between Dingdong and former sweetheart Karylle also late last year. Fueling the controversy further was Karylle’s move from GMA 7 to competing network ABS-CBN. Dingdong has had defended Marian, repeatedly shooting down talk that she was the reason behind the breakup.