‘12 years na kaming magkasama’: A timeline of Coco Martin and Julia Montes’ relationship 

The real score between Coco Martin and Julia Montes has long been a point of speculation in local showbiz, and on Tuesday, May 23, Martin finally put a stop to the rumor mill by confirming his relationship with Montes. 

In an interview with TV Patrol, the actor shared that keeping their lives private helped their relationship flourish. “Mas masarap kasi ‘yung pribado ‘yung buhay – tahimik, walang mga issue. Ito, masaya kami. Napakasarap ng pakiramdam namin dahil ito, 12 years na kaming magkasama, pero pareho pa rin gaya ng dati,” he said. 

(It’s better that we keep our lives private. It’s quiet, we have no issues. We’re happy. It’s such a nice feeling that even if we’ve been together for 12 years, it still still feels like the same.) 

While this statement has been the long-awaited confirmation of their relationship, the two have been vocal in supporting each other throughout the years. Here’s a look back at their moments together: 

2011

A March 2011 report from ABS-CBN News first linked Coco to Julia. At the time, the actor denied reports that he was courting the actress, adding that they’d become friends after working together on a project. 

2012

Coco and Julia – also known as the CocoJul loveteam – were first paired together professionally in the ABS-CBN series Walang Hanggan, where they portrayed lovers Daniel and Katerina, respectively. The show, which ran from January to October, also starred Dawn Zulueta, Richard Gomez, Susan Roces, Paulo Avelino, and Melissa Ricks. 

When Walang Hanggan first premiered in January 2012, Julia was 16 and Coco was 30. 

2013

After the success of their teleserye, the two then headlined their first movie together: A Moment In Time. Other cast members included Gabby Concepcion, Cherie Gil, Joseph Marco, and Ella Cruz. The movie was released in February. 

2014

The CocoJul tandem returned to primetime with the series Ikaw Lamang, which also starred Kim Chiu, KC Concepcion, and Jake Cuenca. 

2015

In March 2015, Coco and Julia were paired again for a Wansapanataym series titled Yamashita’s Treasure. 

During the press conference for the series, Coco told reporters that he was very protective of Julia. “Pinararamdam ko sa kanya na hindi siya pwede magpaligaw,” he said then.  (I made Julia feel that she should not be courted.)

The actor also talked about Julia’s beauty, and shared that he’s seen her mature as an actress. “Nakita ko yung maturity ni Julia as an actress and then nagdadalaga na, paganda nang paganda.”

(I saw Julia mature as an actress, not to mention that she’s been growing as a woman; she’s become more and more beautiful.)

By this time, Coco and Julia had been paired together in one film and three series. However, the latter half of 2015 saw both stars embarking on individual projects. 

In August 2015, Julia headlined the series Doble Kara, which also featured Sam Milby, EA Guzman, Maxene Magalona, Mylene Dizon, and Carmina Villaroel. 

During the show’s press conference, Julia shared how she drew inspiration from Coco’s showbiz success. “Siya nga po yung sabi kong super close ko at super inspiration ko ngayon, dahil nga makikita mo yung journey niya from way back na hindi naman siya Coco Martin agad, talagang tinrabaho niya bago siya naging Coco Martin,” she said then. 

(He’s the person I’m closest to and the biggest inspiration to me right now, since you can see his journey from way back, that he wasn’t Coco Martin right away; he really worked hard before he became the Coco Martin he is today.)

In the same interview, Julia confessed that it was hard to say when she would be ready for courtship, as she still had other priorities in life. “Naniniwala po ako na lahat po ng bagay na nangyari sa buhay ko, pinagdadasal ko. So sabi ko kung darating, kung will ni Lord, iyon, [ready na ako].

(I believe that everything that’s happened in my life, I’ve prayed for, so I said, ‘If love comes, if the Lord wills it, [I’ll be ready].”

By September 2015, Coco’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano premiered. The television series saw actresses Maja Salvador, Bela Padilla, Ritz Azul, Anne Curtis, and Meg Imperial as some of the early leading ladies of Coco’s character Cardo. 

Despite not working together, Coco and Julia were still hounded by romance speculations. In a November 2015 episode of Gandang Gabi Vice, Vice Ganda quipped that Coco and Julia were already in a relationship. 

“May nagsabi sa akin na jowa mo na siya,” the comedian-host told Julia. “Si Coco mismo [nagsabi], bestfriend ko ‘yun.”

(Someone told me that you’re already his girlfriend. Coco was the one who told me. He’s my best friend.)  

2017

Julia was again put in the hot seat during a February 2017 Gandang Gabi Vice guesting, where she was asked again by Vice Ganda about the status of her relationship with Coco. 

She was also asked to rank her three leading men: Coco Martin, Sam Milby, and Enchong Dee. Julia said that she was closest to Coco. 

2018

In 2018, Julia headlined the action drama series Asintado, together with Shaina Magdayao, Paulo Avelino, and Aljur Abrenica. 

During the show’s press conference, Julia again talked about her closeness with Coco, telling PEP that they still communicated with each other despite not working together. She also revealed then that both of their houses were located in the same subdivision in Quezon City. 

Asintado was Julia’s last project before she took a hiatus from showbiz. The actress flew to Germany to spend some time with her biological father Martin Schnittka, whom she first met in December 2016. 

2019

Despite not being in the limelight, Julia continued to show her support for Coco through social media.

Since 2017, the actress has been greeting Coco on his birthday, oftentimes keeping the captions short and simple, using various iterations of “Happy Birthday.” 

In December 2019, Julia also shared a poster of Coco’s Metro Manila Film Festival entry 3pol Trobol Huli Ka Balbon, which also starred Jennylyn Mercado and Ai-Ai delas Alas. 

2020

In February 2020, Julia returned to the small screen in the series 24/7, but her acting comeback was short-lived as the show halted production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Julia was also set to headline the action-drama series titled Burado with Nadine Lustre, Zanjoe Marudo, and Paulo Avelino, but the show was canceled in August 2020 due to pandemic restrictions. 

In November, she also posted a birthday greeting for Coco, with gift, heart, and cake emojis as the caption. 

2021

In March 2021, photos of Coco and Julia in Boracay circulated on social media. 

In July 2021, Julia and Coco were rumored to reunite on screen. Then-Oriental Mindoro Mayor Jennifer Mindanao Cruz shared photos of the two stars in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, adding that it was for a “location familiarization” for a film under director Brillante Mendoza. 

Mendoza also talked about the project with PEP, saying that it was Coco who suggested Julia to be his leading lady in the film. As of writing, additional details about the said project have yet to be announced. 

Also in July, Julia was confirmed to take part in Coco’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano series.

Dreamscape Entertainment also released an almost 15-minute video of the pairing as they talked about their chemistry and projects together. 

Asked about what makes their pairing work, Coco said that it was their chemistry and bonding, while Julia shared that it was their comfortability with each other. “Kapag kasama ko siya, na-rerelax ako and masaya (When I’m with him, I’m relaxed and happy).” 

It was also in this interview where Coco recalled in detail ,how their bond started. 

“Malalim ‘yung pinagsimulan namin. Nagkasama kami ni Juls, hindi pa sa ABS-CBN, may iba pang show. Ano pa siya ‘nun, bagets. Mga 13 or 14. Ako mga siguro, 21. Tapos ako sa kanya, nagtangka mambola. Na-reject ako. After that, nagkita na kami nun sa ‘Walang Hanggan.’ Dahil na-reject ako before, parang feeling ko ‘Ah ganun ah.’ Syempre masungit ako nun,” he shared. 

(We’ve had a long history. Julia and I first worked together outside of ABS-CBN, it was for a  different show. She was so young then, around 13 or 14. I was around 21. I tried wooing her but I got rejected. After that, we saw each other again in the Walang Hanggan series. And since I’d gotten rejected by her before, I was acting out then.) 

Coco continued that Julia had started noticing how he was being a snob during the early days of their shoot, then he realized that Julia was also making an effort to get to know him more. “Habang nagti-taping, nakikilala na namin ang isa’t-isa. Inacknowledge ‘yung isa’t-isa, naging kumportable na kami,” he added.

(While we were taping, that’s when we started getting to know each other and acknowledging each other. We grew comfortable then.)

In November, Julia shared beach photos of her and Coco. 

Again, she penned a message for the actor during his birthday. “Mahal ka namin (We love you),” she said. 

2022

In March 2022, Julia was surprised by her FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano cast members during her birthday. Coco was seen holding her birthday cake. 

When the series ended in August, Julia also took to social media to express her admiration for Coco’s hard work. “Naisakatuparan mo na ang pag-didirek at ang totoo ay higit pa ang binibigay at pinapakita mo. Proud na proud ako sa’yo. Congratulations, aming Cardo Dalisay,” she wrote. 

(You finally fulfilled your dream of directing, and in truth, you’re giving and showing so much more. I’m so proud of you. Congratulations, our Cardo Dalisay.) 

In November, Coco and Julia were spotted together in Japan. 

2023

In a February 2023 radio interview, Coco said that he would like to give a ring to Julia for Valentine’s Day. “Kasi si Juls, sobrang espesiyal sa akin (For me, Julia is truly special),” he said.  

On May 23, an interview of Coco and Julia was aired wherein the actor made a slip and mistakenly confirmed their relationship. When pressed if their relationship had started in 2011, Martin, 41, and Montes, 28, only laughed. 

“Napakasarap ng pakiramdam namin dahil ito, 12 years na kaming magkasama, pero pareho pa rin gaya ng dati. Nilo-look forward namin kapag may project na magkasama kami, and then kapag may pagkakataon, nakakalabas kami, nakikita kami ng mga tao, pero name-maintain namin ‘yung privacy sa buhay namin,” Coco said.

(It’s such a nice feeling that even if we’ve been together for 12 years, it still feels like the same. We look forward to having projects together and if there’s a chance, we go out together. Even if the public can see us, we’re still able to maintain being private about certain matters in our lives.) – Rappler.com