“When I forgive you, it doesn’t mean that I have to keep you in my life.”
This was Kathryn Bernardo’s perspective on healing and forgiveness during a recent interview with a fashion magazine.
This came after the Kapamilya star celebrated her 28th birthday last Tuesday, March 26, with a star-studded party aboard a yacht in Palawan.
In an interview with fashion magazine, Mega, Kathryn opened up about her experience in letting people go and finding inner peace.
The actress reflected on her portrayal of Philo, her character from one of her films, A Very Good Girl, where she co-starred with Golden Globe nominee Dolly De Leon.
Bernardo revealed the emotional attachment she formed with the role and recounted how she learned to bid farewell to something she had lived with for a long time.
“There is a way to go back to your old self kapag nag-cut na,” Kathyrn said before adding, “It’s healthier. Siyempre, you’re going to keep a part of that character forever in your heart. They call it pagpag, kasi kung hindi, baka mabaliw ako.”
Kathryn also admitted that forming new habits had helped her deal with negativities in her life, sharing how she gets “happy hormones” from running, working out, and playing tennis.
“In these past months, she has learned how to keep herself—and her mind—busy, but more than that, she has learned how to compartmentalize,” Mega described the actress’ progress.
When asked about her thoughts on forgiveness, Kath emphasized that forgiving others doesn’t necessarily entail allowing them back into your life, highlighting the importance of boundaries and self-respect in the face of hurt and betrayal.
“Ang lalim kasi ng word na forgiveness. For me, you can forgive people who deserve it. But when I forgive you, it doesn’t mean that I have to keep you in my life,” Kathryn told Mega.
She elaborated, “I forgive you for my peace of mind, for clarity, and for everything. But it doesn’t mean na puwede kang bumalik. It depends.”
“I’ll just keep my distance; you keep your distance. We’re okay like that. I mean, kunwari, I got hurt, why would I allow you to come back? It depends. It’s a case-to-case basis,” she added.
It can be recalled Kathryn made headlines last November 2023 when she officially announced the end of her 11-year relationship with former reel and real-life partner Daniel Padilla and has since declared her decision not to entertain any further questions on the issue.
However, netizens seemed to believe that Daniel celebrated Kathryn’s birthday by posting a graphic art of them together on his Instagram story, at exactly midnight of March 26, accompanied by the message, “Happy birthday to you”, in Japanese characters.
