Despite actress Maine Mendoza’s insistence that she and her former loveteam partner Alden Richards were just friends, some members of their fandom called AlDub Nation (ADN) still hoped that the two will end up together in real life. But that ended yesterday.
Mendoza yesterday admitted on her now-inaccessible blog that she is dating actor Arjo Atayde, right in time for her 24th birthday.
Reacting to fans who have accused Atayde of using her, she said: “You may have listed a long list of reasons why I shouldn’t [date him] but we all know it’s made out of hatred, anger, and disappointment. I choose not to judge his character for whatever he’s done in the past because that does not define him as a person.”
It was also yesterday when Atayde posted this black-and-white photo of him with Mendoza on his Instagram account. In his caption, he wrote with noticeable happiness: “My reason for being. Happy birthday to my main [woman].”
But many members of the ADN were crushed. Yesterday the hashtag #ChinUpADN was trending on Twitter, and today #ADNLastsForever went trending.
It was the end of a fandom that started in 2015 when Mendoza first starred with Richards in a kalye serye (“street series”) on GMA’s noontime show Eat Bulaga. Their love team was called AlDub, a portmanteau of “Alden” and “Yaya Dub,” the character Mendoza played in the series.
During its peak, fans were led to believe that Mendoza and Richards were a couple in real life, a common marketing ploy to make a loveteam succeed in Philippine showbiz. The pressure to be with Richards became so great that Mendoza wrote an open letter in 2017 where she said that their relationship was just platonic.
Fans of love teams can get really intense. They believe they should have a say on how a celebrity leads her life, such as who she dates.
Many were hurt by Mendoza’s announcement and some were even angry at her.
Obviously referring to Mendoza, one fan felt that the ADN was belittled and that person would end up falling “flat on her face.”
#ADNLastsForever POV 2 there is a saying those people who reached the pinnacle of their success but failed to thank those people who help him or her reached that, instead of saying thank you. But she belittled them will fall flat on her face when she falls back.
— Renee A. Villanueva (@reneeanduizavil) March 3, 2019
Tagging Mendoza, @baste88 wrote: “Just like my OL (online) reply to your first OL @mainemendoza THIS IS YOUR CRY FOR APPROVAL. And like what I said before, YOU ARE A SELFISH BRAT. You know this is wrong that’s why you will turn things around by using that ‘being real to oneself’ card. GROW UP!”
Just like my OL reply to your 1st OL @mainedcm THIS IS YOUR CRY FOR APPROVAL. And like what I said before, YOU ARE A SELFISH BRAT. Alam mong may mali kaya babaligtarin mo ang lahat para maghugas kamay by using that “pagpapakatotoo sa sarili” card. GROW UP! #ADNLastsForever https://t.co/Qi0TjjScy8
— CastilloOnTheHill (@baste88) March 3, 2019
Reacting to another tweet, @CoupleAldub wrote: “My point. Maine doesn’t care about the people around her who will lose their source of income if her career fails. What she did was too much. [This is] career suicide for a mere guy! Very immature, bratty, and irresponsible. No wonder [her television network] GMA is distancing itself from her.”
My point. Maine doesn’t care about the people around her who will lose their source of income if lalagapak ang career niya. Grabe ginawa niya. Career suicide for a mere guy! Very immature, bratty, and irresponsible. No wonder dumidistansya ang GMA sa kanya. #ADNLastsForever https://t.co/m2Ma03Oyou
— ✨ALDUB💚ᴬᴰᴺ – MARS (@CoupleAldub) March 4, 2019
Of course, there were supporters too.
@emba0316 wrote: “When people ask you, ‘what did you get out of it (being an ADN)?’ [I answer] friends. A lot of friends.”
When people ask you “ano napala mo?”
Friends. A lot of friends. 😊#ADNLastsForever
— 💚King-Mommy ᴬᴰᴺ💚 (@emba0316) March 4, 2019
Another fan told other members of the ADN to “lift their worries” up to the heavens.
We can be angry, frustrated & disappointed but please don’t let hate grow & linger in your heart. Lift your worries up to the Lord in prayer. Have a good week ahead, ADN. #ADNLastsForever
— Sino Days ᴬᴰᴺ (@dearfriendcan) March 3, 2019
Another wrote that she was done with ALDUB and was in ADN for her friends.
ALDUB is DONE.
But NOT ADN. #ADNLastsForever
It’s not about AlDub anymore. I am done with that. I’m letting go.
I’m here for my friends.♥️ pic.twitter.com/OXRj9dGlH5
— Leyah_q (@leyah_q) March 3, 2019
What do you think of this Filipino fandom culture? Leave a comment below or tweet to @CoconutsManila.
