FACT CHECK: Post falsely claims KathNiel breakup is just a ‘prank’

Claim: The breakup of on- and off-screen couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla was just a prank. The two are still together, according to Bernardo’s Instagram story.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The Facebook post bearing the claim was posted on December 1 by a page named “Trending,” which has 121,000 followers. As of writing, the post gained 439 shares, 335 reactions, and 94 comments.

The post reads: ““PRANK LANG?” JUST IN | Hiwalayang Daniel at Kathryn prank lang pala! Ayon sa IG story ng actress, “prank” lang daw yon. Deej and Kath are still together.”

(“Just a prank?” Just in | The Daniel-Kathryn split is apparently a prank! According to the actress’ Instagram story, it was just a “prank.” Deej and Kath are still together.)

The post has screenshots and a link to Bernardo’s supposed Instagram story and tweet.

The facts: This is false. On Thursday, November 30, Bernardo and Padilla confirmed their breakup on their official and verified Instagram accounts. 

In their separate posts, the former couple thanked fans of their KathNiel love team and expressed appreciation for each other despite the split. (READ: ‘Chapter closed’: Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla confirm breakup)

Since first working together in the youth-oriented series Growing Up in 2011, the two have starred in multiple blockbuster projects and grew a huge fan base as a love team. (READ: KathNiel: A timeline)

Fake tweet: The supposed tweet of Bernardo claiming that the couple was still together is not posted on her official and verified account on X (formerly Twitter). Moreover, the fake tweet has no published date and time. 

Online shopping link: The misleading post includes a supposed link to Bernardo’s Instagram story. When clicked, it redirects users to an online shopping website instead. – Owenh Jake Toledo/Rappler.com

Owenh Jake Toledo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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