Actress and television host Maine Mendoza is on the big spotlight again.

This as controversy sparked following her belated revelation that she had had feelings for her once co-star Alden Richards during the peak of their AlDub popularity in 2015. 

Many lauded Maine for her candid admission but many are equally criticizing her and for defending Alden.

She shared her honest thoughts on X about the criticism and negativity derived from her admissions and these are widely publicized by Manila media.

The actress said on X that she never intended to spark criticism or negativity with her revelations. 

According to Maine, she was so surprised that her story gained so much attention after all these years. 

“I didn’t think the part about my story with Alden would spark controversy, let alone be a big deal, considering that everyone had already moved on from Kalyeserye and AlDub,” Maine wrote as quoted by her mother studio’s GMA News. 

She explained her purpose of the podcast was simply to look back on her phenomenal Kalyeserye with Richard and share untold stories and personal experiences.

Since  Alden played a key role in the segment, it was only natural to include him in the discussions, Maine said.

“There is no reason to exclude him [Alden] from the story/our stories, despite his absence, because he was a big part of Kalyeserye—and it would have felt strange to leave him out,” Maine said.

“There was no intention to provoke criticism or negativity towards him or anyone else Maine shared what she calls “the biggest question”: “Why do we get criticized for saying our truth and the truth? And why is it when we do, some people resort to personal attacks meant to demean and harm?”  

“Why pit a woman against a man, as if there’s a competition for who’s more successful? Success isn’t just about career achievements, as if our lives revolve solely around our jobs. In the grand scheme of things, what really needs proving?” she asked as GMA News reported.

In her lengthly tweet, Maine expressed her hope that “Ten years on, we can revisit and reflect on the good and the bad with a peaceful heart. I hope we can keep moving forward without nurturing hate—because what’s the point? What do we gain from hostility?”

In a follow-up post, she asked fans not to throw hate on Alden. 

 “Please don’t throw hate on Alden. Regardless of what he meant by his words, it was really for the best for both of us and our situation at that time. Don’t read much into it,” she wrote. 

 Maine said in a recent podcast that she fell in love with Alden at the height of the AlDub phenomenon and confessed to him.

 “Na-in-love talaga ako kay Alden. Kahit sino mag-tanong sa akin. Sasagutin ko nang diretso. Na-in-love ako sa kanya pero hindi siya nanligaw. Walang ganon. Alam din niya kasi very vocal ako sa lahat ng tao pati kay Alden mismo,” Maine admitted. 

 “Straightforward naman ako na tao. Tinanong ko siya rekta, ‘Sabihin mo na sa ‘kin, ano bang nararamdaman mo for me?’ Direkta kong tinanong sa kanya, gusto ko lang malaman. Sabi ko, ’Kung ano man ‘yan, tatanggapin ko naman. Kailangan ko lang malaman.”

 According to Maine, Alden told her, “‘Di ko pwedeng sabihin sa ’yo kasi mawawala ’yung magic’.”

 In a 2023 interview in “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda,” Alden admitted that he did fall in love with Maine throughout the fame of their love team.

 During their time as a love team, Alden and Maine starred in several acting projects together such as “Destined to be Yours,” “My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore,” “Imagine You and Me,” and “Love Is…”

“I was asked, I answered, and I shared a short anecdote,” she added.

“From the start, I hoped the clashes between fans on both sides would end, at least, even though the hate train aimed at me was non-stop then and apparently still remains so,” Maine wrote as Philippine Star reported. 

“I believe it’s acceptable to reflect and openly discuss them for this podcast, especially now that it’s been a decade and all is well between the individuals involved, particularly me and Alden,” she said. 

Alden has stopped appearing on the noon time show after it transferred to its new home, TV5, in 2023. Alden is a talent of Sparkle, the talent agency of GMA-7, where the noontime show was aired for a long time. 

Maine said that despite Alden being no longer a part of the show, she sees no reason to exclude him in the podcast since Alden is a vital part of the Kalyeserye. He played the fictionalized version of himself who meets and falls in love with Maine’s character, YayaDub. 

“It would have felt strange to leave him out,” Maine said. 

At the podcast, Maine revealed that she had confessed her feelings to Alden. She said that she had always been vocal about it, and if anybody had asked, she would have affirmed it. 

Maine said that she just wanted to know if he returned the feelings, but Alden never replied to her. He never courted her. In 2023, Alden shared with Boy Abunda that he “confessed” and also fell in love with Maine. 

Maine said that she did not see her sharing that particular anecdote as a bad thing because there was no malice or ill intent when she shared it. She added that there are countless other stories that she chose not to share.

She reflected on why she got criticized for her truth and the truth, and even pitting her and Alden. 

“And why is it when we do, some people resort to personal attacks meant to demean and harm? I get that we have supporters who aren’t really fans of the other, but why the hostility? Why pit a woman against a man, as if there’s a competition for who’s more ‘successful’? Success, in this sense, is ridiculously measured and defined by career ‘achievements’ as if our lives revolve solely around our jobs. In the grand scheme of things, what is really there to prove? All the hatred and comparisons—what for, really?”

“All is well among the Dabarkads. We’ve all moved on, and the past remains there. We can revisit and reflect on the good and the bad with a peaceful heart. Ten years on, we are all living the lives we chose, and I hope we can keep moving forward without nurturing hate—because what’s the point? What do we gain from hostility? Again, in the grand scheme of things, what truly needs proving? Find your own answer. Let’s live for what makes us happy and make life less complicated and chaotic,” she said. 

Maine ended by reminding people that life is short to “spew negativity online.” 

“Don’t let it be your only contribution in this life. Ang dami pang pwedeng gawin sa buhay bukod sa pagiging tambay sa internet at pagiging hater. There’s another world of better things to do. Leave a better trace,” she ended. 

Ten years since the pair rose to phenomenal fame via the popular “Kalyeserye” segment of “Eat Bulaga,” Maine said that she indeed fell in love with Alden during the “Tamang Panahon” podcast uploaded in the noon time show’s YouTube channel on  August 18. 

Maine, who is now married happily with actor and Quezon City Congressman  Arjo Atayde, said if she had been asked earlier, she would have admitted it.

She disclosed that Alden was aware of her feelings for him. 

“Na-in-love talaga ako kay Alden. Kahit sino mag-tanong sa akin. Sasagutin ko nang diretso. Na-in-love ako sa kanya pero hindi siya nanligaw, walang ganon. Alam din niya kasi very vocal ako sa lahat ng tao pati kay Alden mismo,” Maine admitted.

Maine was with her “Eat Bulaga” co-hosts Allan K, Paolo Bediones, Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and their show’s producer Jenny Ferre. The other hosts were, in fact, part of the Kalyeserye cast. 

The actress-host replied to a fan’s comment read during the podcast about the pair developing feelings for each other. 

Maine said that though she confessed, Alden never courted her. If he did, she would have said yes because she was in love with him at that time. 

“Alam ni Alden ‘yun. Sinabi ko sa kanya ng rekta pero hindi siya nanligaw. Friends lang kami,” she shared. 

Maine said she wanted to ask no matter his answer because she just wanted to know Alden’s feelings. 

“Tinanong ko siya noon, eh ang straightforward lo naman na tao, ‘Sabihin mo na sa akin ano bang nararamdaman mo for me?’ Gusto ko lang malaman. Kung anuman yan, kailangan ko lang malaman. 

“Ang sabi niya lang [sa akin], ‘Hindi ko puwedeng sabihin sa iyo kasi mawawala ‘yung magic,’” she revealed. (JTS/cmtpr1962@yahoo.com.ph)