Now that Richard Gutierrez's blossoming new relationship is out in the open, the actor did not shy away from disclosing the details of his broken marriage with Sarah Lahbati.
In his interview with Ogie Diaz uploaded on January 16, Richard gave more details about their breakup by confirming that they are already undergoing an annulment process. But that's as far as we could get from the actor. "We are actually going through an annulment now and both parties naman want to move forward," he said.
It was in March 2024 when Sarah announced that she was single, following the news of their controversial split. "Yeah, I mean. there's nothing to hide. And I think it's pretty clear to the public na both of us [are single] I think," Sarah said in a short interview. At the time, Sarah had disclosed that she was not on speaking terms with Richard.
Nonetheless, as the months passed by, the two were seen separately spending time with their sons, Zion and Kai, seemingly in a good co-parenting setup. True enough, Richard divulged how they both aim to show up for their kids who are their top priorities in life.
"May equal time kami with our kids. So, parang nagko-co-parenting kami. And ang priority namin is to make sure that the kids, you know, live a good life, a happy life," Richard stated.
Moreover, Richard implicitly stated hopes for both him and Sarah to find happiness in life. "And of course, kung happy siya sa buhay niya at happy ako sa buhay ko, makikita ng mga bata 'yun. At ang important sa amin ay 'yung mga bata," he uttered.
ALSO READ: A Timeline Of Sarah Lahbati And Richard Gutierrez's Relationship
The reason behind Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati's separation
Even if it's been a year since Richard and Sarah made headlines for ending their more-than-a-decade relationship, a lot are still curious about what caused their breakup. Tight-lipped, Richard asked for peace and respect when it came to their split. "Siguro 'yung tungkol sa amin ni Sarah, ayoko na rin pag-usapan, 'yung mga nangyaring detalye. [...] Actually, at this point, nakapag-move forward na 'yung both parties."
He concluded, "So, kung ano man 'yung dahilan, matagal na panahon na 'yun, nakapag-move on na kami pareho, 2025 na. Gusto kong magsimula yung taon nang maganda, peaceful, at happy. So, 'yun, let's leave the past in the past. We're all trying to move forward."
When people first started speculating about their romance, Richard's mom, Annabelle Rama, drew attention with a series of fiery comments. These remarks hinted at what appeared to be a quiet conflict between the former couple.
In December 2023, Annabelle released some of her sentiments that triggered curiosity from the public. Based on her remarks, people could tell that there is bad blood between her and Sarah at the time. "Nakikita mo naman, hindi mo na kailangang magsalita pa. Nakikita mo na yan. Si Richard trabaho nang trabaho, 'yung isa nagwawaldas ng pera. 'Yun lang ang masasabi ko diyan,"
Annabelle added, "Hindi pa 'ko pwede magsalita eh [...] Maghintay na lang kayo kasi malalaman niyo rin. Not now."
At present, Sarah is busy with her career as a fashion influencer and actress while Richard is having his teleserye comeback with Incognito.
