OMG! Marian Rivera Reacts to Dingdong Dantes and Caril Padilla’s Reunion on It’s Showtime

The reaction of actress Marian Rivera to the reunion of her husband Dingdong Dantes and his ex-girlfriend Caril Padilla has become a trending topic online. After nearly 17 years, Dingdong and Caril’s unexpected on-screen encounter is now the hot topic on social media.

Many fans were thrilled and intrigued to see the two face each other again after such a long time. Their reunion happened during the June 11, 2025 episode of the noontime variety show It’s Showtime, where Caril is one of the hosts. Dingdong was a guest on the show to promote his latest film with Miss Charo Santos.

Unlike in previous episodes where Caril would skip work when Dingdong was a guest, this time, she showed up to welcome him on set. Later in the episode, during a game between the hosts and guests, an awkward moment between the two was clearly noticeable. Caril was mostly silent and barely spoke, avoiding even the slightest interaction with Dingdong—even though they were on opposing teams.

This led people to ask: How painful was their 2008 breakup that they still seem to avoid each other to this day? For those unaware, Caril and Dingdong were in a relationship for three years before parting ways in 2008 due to unresolved differences. Insiders at the time claimed that Caril was more in love with Dingdong than he was with her.

There were also rumors that Marian Rivera—who is now Dingdong’s wife—had a role in their breakup, allegedly being the third party. Back then, Marian and Dingdong were co-stars in Marimar and Dyesebel. Just a few months after Dingdong and Caril ended their relationship, Dingdong and Marian publicly confirmed they were dating.

In 2023, when Dingdong and Marian promoted their movie Rewind on It’s Showtime, Caril was notably absent from the segment. Her absence trended on Twitter, and she later explained that she didn’t go to work that day because she was sick.

That’s why many viewers were surprised and pleased this time around—after 17 years, Caril finally faced the man who once broke her heart. It seemed as though she had finally found it in herself to forgive her former boyfriend. Some netizens, however, still haven’t moved on from the Caril-Dingdong tandem and have started bringing up their past again. Some even said that Dingdong and Caril were a better match—if only Marian hadn’t “interfered” in their relationship.

Meanwhile, Marian Rivera’s reaction to the reunion has become another hot topic. According to a source, Marian was not expecting Caril to be present during Dingdong’s guest appearance, since she was well aware that the two had been avoiding each other for a long time.

Marian reportedly thought that, just like before when she and Dingdong guested on the show, Caril would be absent again. However, she said that she has no issue with Dingdong and Caril seeing each other—after all, it was strictly for work, and there’s no reason to make it a big deal.

According to her, netizens are the only ones trying to stir drama and create an issue out of Dingdong and Caril’s reunion. But for her and her husband, it was nothing more than a professional encounter, nothing else.