BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

In recent years, Paolo Contis and Yen Santos have been at the center of a controversy. However, Paolo’s confirmation of their relationship after breaking up with LJ Reyes is that they are more than friends. 

Here’s the scoop on how Paolo Contis and Yen Santos’ friendship evolved into a real intimate relationship.

On August 19, 2021, Yen and Paolo’s Netflix film “A Faraway Land” was released. At that time, rumors were already circulating that Paolo and his longtime live-in partner, LJ Reyes, were having problems. They have a child together, Baby Summer.

From August to September 2021, photos of Paolo with a woman began circulating on social media. Amid rumors of Paolo’s breakup with LJ, netizens noticed pictures of him with a woman taken in Baguio. 

In September 2021, a video purportedly featuring Paolo and Yen went viral. At that time, netizens speculated that the couple in the video were Yen and Paolo and believed she was also the woman in the Baguio photos. The video, reportedly taken on August 27, showed a pair walking, both wearing face masks and face shields.

Although the footage was mostly from the side and behind, the pair seemed to resemble Paolo and Yen. On September 8, Paolo confirmed that the lady was Yen. Paolo says Yen was only with him in Baguio “as a friend.”

The phrase “as a friend” sparked a wave of memes and clever reactions from netizens, even making Baguio a trending topic on Twitter (now called X) that night. In a lengthy Instagram post, Paolo clarified that Yen was not a third party in his breakup with LJ. He asked bashers to refrain from attacking his friend. 

On September 12, 2021, showbiz insider Ogie Diaz reported that Paolo denied rumors of being with Yen in Baguio for more than a day. A few days later, Yen deleted (or archived) all her photos on Instagram and turned off the comment section. In November 2021, netizens speculated that Paolo and Yen were exchanging cryptic messages on Instagram. It appears that Yen and Paolo celebrated her birthday together as well.

In January 2022, Paolo and Yen were seen in Boracay. Observant netizens noticed the speculated couple enjoying a vacation there. Images of them emerged online, with Yen seeming to display a “baby bump.” Paolo refuted the rumors, explaining it was merely an unflattering camera angle. July 7, Yen was also back in socmed. 

In November 2022, Yen expressed her gratitude towards her co-star Paolo upon receiving the Best Actress award at the Gawad Urian ceremony for their movie. They also went to a hotel to spend the 30th birthday of Yen. 

In January 2023, Paolo also admitted on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” that he and Yen are already in a relationship. Despite Paolo’s admission of their relationship with Yen, their relationship remained quiet. Until now, in May 2024, news spread about Yen deleting her birthday greeting to Paolo. When asked about it, Paolo responded with a “no comment.”

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo: Instagram (@ysantos)