Claudine Barretto lovingly remembers Rico Yan on his 22nd death anniversary via social media. The actress reiterates that she is grateful to the fans who pay tribute to the actor long after his passing.
Claudine Barretto Remembers Rico Yan, Her “One True Love”
Claudine Shares Fan Video, Looking Back On Her Time With Rico
Claudine posted a fan video by @rycb.memories to her Instagram feed on March 29, 2024, Rico's 22nd death anniversary. The video features a clip of Claudine in an interview with Karen Davila. In the soundbite, Claudine said about Rico, "He is a big part of my life. So isa lang ang pinakasap ko talaga sa mga fans namin ni Rico na wag kalimutan siya. And I am so thankful and grateful na up to this day talaga, they honor him, they celebrate him, and that’s all. Kasi, I know parang, I realized, you know, in your life sabi nila you just have one great love. Right? So parang ako, yung feeling ko once upon a time, once upon a time talaga."
The fan video cuts from the interview and shows a few photos of Rico and Claudine. It also uses "Heaven Knows (This Angel Has Flown)" by Orange & Lemons as a background song.
Claudine captions the post with "March 29 my heart stopped" and three broken heart emojis plus the hashtag #alwaysandforever.
Claudine And Rico: A Love Story
Last year, Claudine was featured on Karen's YouTube channel, revealing how she visits Rico's grave every year. She also talked about how it was she had a difficult back then as some people blamed her for Rico's demise. Claudine also said how she is now on speaking terms with Rico's family, resolving the controversy that followed the actor's death.
In the late '90s to early '00s, Rico and Claudine dominated showbiz as an onscreen and real-life couple. In 1996, they were first paired in the movie Radio Romance, co-starring then-rising stars like Gelli De Belen, Jolina Magdangal, and John Estrada. Rico and Claudine together proved to be a hit with the widely successful teleserye Mula Sa Puso. The series culminated in Mula Sa Puso: The Movie in 1999.
According to Pep.ph, Rico and Claudine became a couple in 1998.
They would continue to capture everyone’s kilig with Madrasta, Flames, Saan Ka Man Naroroon, and Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita. Rico and Claudine's last movie together, Got 2 Believe, had a soundtrack that included a duet from them.
Tragically, Rico passed away a month after the release of Got 2 Believe. He was 27 years old. His funeral was reportedly attended by fans from all over The Philippines. The burial on April 4, 2002, was televised for six hours.
Rico is truly missed. The space he left behind in Philippine entertainment remains to this day.
