There's been a lot of talk about Priscilla Meirelles and John Estrada's relationship. The two are currently in the middle of several controversies nowadays, and it seems it won't be slowing down anytime soon.
Just recently, Priscilla made a buzz for explosive comments on her husband's Instagram accounts. There's one where she namedropped John's alleged third party. Then came her other comment, saying, "Looking very divorced Mr. Estrada," and triggering speculations that their marriage is already over.
Days after—and after more cryptic statements from Priscilla (her FB Live is a goldmine)—John broke his silence through an Instagram Story. His statement read, "Priscilla and I have mutually agreed to take a break for quite some time now. There's more to the story but the last thing I want to do is to hurt the people I love. I want to make it clear that I am not in a relationship with Lily Hallman or any other woman for that matter. I just met her in Boracay. I had a short break from work and felt the need for a breather. This is a private family matter that's why I ask for privacy as we deal with this. Thank you!"
Just hours later, Priscilla fired back and refuted John's statements through her own Instagram Story as well. The former beauty queen directly responded to John's sentiment clarifying that they are currently still married despite the hurdles they are going through at the moment.
Priscilla's full Instagram statement read, "I am deeply shocked and disheartened by Mr. Estrada's recent public statement. To clarify, there was never any mutual agreement regarding our separation. We were married when I left the Philippines, and we remain married as of this time. While there is indeed more to this story, it is not the appropriate time to delve into those details. Regardless of what those may be, however, it won't change the course of [fate]. I appreciate your constant support, kindness, and love during this difficult time. I trust that, in due course, all will be resolved appropriately. Thank you for your understanding."
At the moment, Priscilla is staying in Brazil with her family and her daughter with John, Anechka Estrada. As the two try to address their issues out of the public eye, let's try to look back at how the hot-topic couple right now has navigated their relationship through the years.
Priscilla Meirelles and John Estrada's Relationship Timeline
2004: The meet up
Yup, it's been a long time since the two met. Some twenty years ago, Priscilla won Miss Earth 2004. The competition was held in the Philippines, and it was also the time when she first met John. They revealed this information in a December 2007 interview with columnist Ricky Lo.
But love did not flourish for them the first time they met, it took more than three meet-ups for them to finally pick up the pace and start their romantic connection.
"Then we met again for the third time last January (2007)...He told me, 'We've met a long time ago. I used to have long hair." He removed his cap and I said, 'Oh, you're the actor! Yes, I remember you!'" Priscilla narrated during the interview.
Talking about their first impressions of each other, well, they both thought that the other was good-looking. For John, Priscilla was so gorgeous that he was attracted to her the first time he met her. "I knew that she was the reigning Miss Earth and I thought, 'Wow, she’s gorgeous!'" And then things just happened quickly. It was attraction at first sight..." John admitted during the interview.
But even though John found Priscilla to be so beautiful, he didn't actually plan to be more than friends with the beauty queen at the time. After they met for the third time, John asked Priscilla, "'You are supposed to have a boyfriend, aren't you?" Then, she shook her head to say no. "Then, we started going out," John recounts. Later in the conversation, the two noted their relationship happened because of perfect timing.
2007: The confirmation
Priscilla and John confirmed their relationship in 2007. However, it wasn't a smooth start due to John's past relationship. He's always been in the limelight when it comes to his relationships. He had a sour separation from his first wife, Janice De Belen, in 2004. They became parents of four children throughout their 12-year marriage, including budding actress Kaila Estrada.
Another one of John's controversial relationships was with former celebrity Vanessa del Bianco, who was allegedly the cause of John and Janice's breakup. Following John's annulment with Janice, he and Vanessa eventually went public. However, reports stated that their romance did not last long as Vanessa flew to Canada, thus ending her showbiz career.
After months of being single and a few more dates, John and Priscilla finally admitted that they were in a relationship in 2007.
2009: The two-year engagement
Two years after going public, it was time for John to start a new chapter of his married life with Priscilla. The two got engaged in 2009.
2011: The beach wedding
Two years after their engagement, the couple finally got hitched in a solemn beach wedding in March 2011. It was a dreamy wedding ceremony in La Union, with the most magnificent sunset view as their backdrop. Priscilla wore a bridal gown by Randy Ortiz. John's kids with Janice were also present as part of the wedding entourage and wore outfits in shades of apple green and purple.
2012: Their first daughter
A year after their wedding, John and Priscilla had their first daughter, Sammanta Anechka Estrada. Priscilla gave birth to their beautiful baby girl on February 6, 2012. John confirmed it to ABS-CBN News, detailing their daughter's name and even her weight upon birth.
"We're so happy. Modesty aside, she's so pretty. Looks exactly like her mom," John disclosed to the news outlet in 2012.
March 2023: Priscilla's cryptic posts
The two have been married for quite a long time and it's been peaceful—at least, to the public eye. But last year, their low-key life was thrust into the public eye as Priscilla posted cryptic messages. On March 29, 2024, the former beauty queen posted photos on her IG Stories with the text, "Married men/women who chase single boys/girls are seriously so pathetic!" She then asked her followers an *intriguing* question: "What to call a woman that entertains [a] married man?" Obviously, these posts from Priscilla caused speculations from online citizens that John cheated (once again).
Weeks after her cryptic posts, she confirmed having a "rough time" in her marriage with John. In an interview with PEP.ph, she explicitly divulged, "I have been going through a rough time in my marriage for a while already for many reasons. And just like with anyone else, it has been tough. I constantly pray for strength and wisdom and hope for better days ahead but the truth is napuno na ako."
April 2023: The aftermath
What do you do after a huge fight with your S.O.? You try to make up for it, right? That's what John did a few weeks after Priscilla admitted to PEP.ph that their relationship was on the rocks at the time.
The actor posted on Instagram in April 2023 with the cheesiest caption, "The love of my life, my wife, my one and only Queen." He posted their photos together with the hashtags #happytogether #jp #naturalbeauty #happywifehappylife.
June 2023: The 50th birthday party
It seemed that Priscilla was ready to move on from the rough patch in their relationship as she threw a grand birthday party for John just months after her cryptic posts.
"A night to remember, Happy 50th birthday party, @johnestrada__," she wrote in an Instagram post. Lensed by Nice Print Photo, Priscilla and John's closest family and friends were in attendance at the event.
May 2024: The tipping point
Despite patching things up in the past, Priscilla shared some details about their marriage in an interview in May 2024. After all, marriage isn't always about the romance and good times. It could sometimes get difficult. For Priscilla, there's just so much that a woman can take in a relationship.
In an episode of Fast Talk With Boy Abunda, Priscilla got candid about their marital problems. She talked about reaching the tipping point in their relationship.
"We're married pa rin...but I'm not gonna take it anything of what I already put up at to this point. So, alam niyang nasa limit na ako. So, whatever happened from this point on, it's all on him. I've done my part," she declared during the talk show.
July 2024: The latest fallout
Now, the couple have publicly expressed their fallout—with John saying it's a 'mutual decision' to take a break, and Priscilla saying it's actually not. The actor was recently spotted having a good time in Boracay, while Priscilla is enjoying her family time in Brazil together with their daughter, Anechka.
