The actress and beauty queen has been dating the former Quezon City mayor for 4 years now
MANILA, Philippines – Actress and beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez has confirmed that she has been in a relationship with actor-politician Herbert Bautista for four years.
“I never go into a relationship that’s not serious,” Ruffa said in a candid YouTube interview with Karen Davila posted on Thursday, June 20.
Ruffa, 49, was with daughters Lorin and Venice when she admitted her current relationship status. Her daughters said they approved of Bautista, 56, as their mother’s new partner.
“Her current partner is a really nice guy, he treats her well, and she is ecstatic about him,” Venice said. Ruffa’s daughters are hopeful about being bridesmaids if she decides to remarry.
Ruffa and Herbert’s relationship has been kept relatively private from the public eye.
Ruffa and Herbert met on the set of the romantic comedy series House Arrest of Us starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla in 2020. On their first date, Herbert made sure to include Ruffa’s daughters.
Herbert encouraged Ruffa to return to school, which was a sign that what they have is “real and a very strong connection,” Ruffa’s eldest, Lorin, said.
Ruffa was previously married to Turkish businessman Yilmaz Bektas, whom she wed in March 2003 after meeting at the Cannes Film Festival.
In 2007, she left Istanbul and returned to the Philippines to raise her daughters as a solo parent. According to a GMA Network report, Ruffa claimed her ex-husband tortured her for 15 hours, including beating her, cutting her hair, locking her in a closet, threatening her family, and “everything that was considered abusive.”
Ruffa was granted an annulment in 2012.
Following her marriage, Ruffa dated actor John Lloyd Cruz and Jordan Mouyal.
Herbert was Quezon City mayor from 2010 to 2019. He previously had a long-term live-in partner, Tates Gana, and dated the Queen of All Media, Kris Aquino. – with reports from Kila Orozco/Rappler.com
Kila Orozco is a Rappler intern.
