You've landed here most probably because you're interested about the woman who's making John Lloyd Cruz happy these days.
On October 24, 2023, the actor publicly confirmed the real status between him and Isabel Santos.
"Si Isabel ay girlfriend ko, oo... Boyfriend niya ako (laughs)," he cheerfully said. When urged to talk more about his relationship with Isabel during a guesting on a Fast Talk With Boy Abunda episode, John Lloyd quipped, "Wala. We're boring people. Wala kaming maikukwento."
While John Lloyd remains very private about his lady love, we've done some digging up, and we dare say that Isabel is more than just a celebrity girlfriend.
1. Did you know that Isabel comes from a family of renowned Filipino artists?
She is the granddaughter of award-winning cartoonist Mauro "Malang" Santos. Her parents are Soler and Mona Santos, both artists and the owners of the West Gallery in Quezon City.
It is in this gallery where Isabel and John Lloyd met.
"Gallery nila 'yung una kong pinasok na gallery. At the time na bago pa lang akong tumigil with ABS, napadpad ako sa pag-e-explore ng (art circle). So, sila 'yung mga una kong nakilala... Ayun, matagal na kaming magkakilala. We were talking before but hindi nag-evolve into something ideal for us at the time. Mula noon, present na rin siya sa buhay ko," John Lloyd narrated.
2. She's a respected artist
In an earlier interview with Esquire Philippines, Isabel Santos shared her interesting take on art, seeing equality in all kinds of artworks, whether it's cartoon or video art, sculpture, or painting. "I've never had the feeling that a sculpture is better than video art or something like that. Feeling ko it's how a person consumes it," she said.
She is an artist of her time. Although Isabel Santos did not pursue Fine Arts back in college, she gave in to art's calling and found herself holding her own exhibits, beginning 2013. In a video for some college students, she revealed that it was her family's trip to Europe that made her realize her love and motivation to pursue art as her career.
And because she did not have the formal training, she pursued residencies in New York, Marnay sur Seine, and Berlin. Isabel Santos explored and immersed herself in various art methods to curate her very own style.
It was in 2014 that Isabel Santos established her niche in the art scene. Her exhibitions like Vader Boy with Secret Fresh and Gathered Narratives with Silverlens Gallery were well-received by art enthusiasts.
Isabel Santos acknowledges her highs and lows as an artist. She admits that despite numerous exhibitions and even being part of Art Fair Philippines six times, she still gets anxious about her work. Interestingly, her anxiety pushes her to draw and literally paint her worries away. "When I'm anxious, malikot 'yung kamay ko kasi I can get very tense. So, naging meditation ko 'yun, the drawings," Isabel told Esquire Philippines. She revealed that this kind of meditation for her became apparent in one of her 2022 exhibitions, But may we mourn? with the Blanc Gallery. The exhibit was her way of releasing her anxieties brought about by the pandemic and the recent 2022 national elections in the Philippines.
In 2021, Isabel Santos won at the Uniqlo UT Grand Prix T-shirt design competition. She channelled most of her views in life through deconstruction and pop culture accents in her artworks and it's evidently shown in her designs for the competition.
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3. She seamlessly combines fashion and art!
Isabel is also a make-up enthusiast and a fashionista. But for Isabel, fashion and make-up is not a result of her creative profile. Instead, it is where she gets most of her inspirations for her art pieces. Fun fact: Isabel learned to paint faces better because of her interest in make-up!
4. She's super private
Isabel is not an open book. She keeps most of her personal life away from everyone's sight and puts the spotlight on her craft instead. Her quiet relationship with John Lloyd Cruz (they've been together since 2021) differentiates her from other non-showbiz partners of celebrities. Speculations about their relationship may have started because of her *lowkey* posts of John Lloyd on her Instagram, but Isabel seems to be unbothered by the speculations and just continues to focus on her art.
Isabel told Esquire Philippines, "Feeling ko, it's my break year." She's ready to pause and breathe. But this does not actually mean that she's taking a break from being an artist. Isabel says she's looking for inspiration for her next pieces, but without the pressure of any deadlines.
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5. She's an animal advocate!
Another thing to note about Isabel is that she's a dog-lover. This year, she celebrated her birthday surrounded by lots of puppers! In an Instagram post, Isabel treated several dogs at an animal shelter. They even had pabitin for the doggos, which was so cute!
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Just like Isabel who's looking for a new perspective this year, let's also look at her through a new lens and under a different light. Aside from the usual showbiz tidbits we read about her, it's time we see Isabel as an artist and as her own person.
She is Isabel Santos. Period.
