Why Bianca Umali gave Ruru Madrid a second chance after cheating
Bianca Umali opened up about forgiveness, healing, and giving second chances after her boyfriend Ruru Madrid cheated on her early in their relationship.
During her appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, the "King of Talk" brought up Madrid's past infidelity and asked Umali about her decision to forgive him.
“I think there's nothing wrong with forgiving,” she said. “If second chances [are] what it is that you have to give to the person, why not? You'll never know if it's worth lasting if you don't try."
For Umali, however, forgiveness is a process.
“When you give forgiveness, I believe that it's okay to take your time,” she said. “When we forgive, there is a process. There are questions. Are you healed enough to accept the person in return?”
“It takes time to heal, so you honor that time,” she added.
The actress also said that her perspective on forgiveness comes from the hurt she's experienced in her relationships with others.
“I think it's not just towards Ruru. I have gotten hurt by not just people but circumstances in life so many times,” she said. “But also to forgive someone or to give someone a second chance. There's nothing wrong with that."
Asked whether she would give Madrid another chance if he were to make the same mistake again, she said, “That's going to be tough, and it always will be tough because even if ibalik ko rin naman 'yung tanong sa kanya, paano 'pag ako 'yung nagkamali—would he give me another chance?”
“But if he does give me a second chance, I would be grateful. And all the more I would want to make it up to him if someone gives me a second chance,” she added. "Hindi po madaling magbigay nun."
Umali also talked about how their relationship has changed with time and maturity. “The intensity of it is more with maturity right now,” she said. “And it goes both ways.”
“With where I am in my relationship now and with the work that we both are doing, we've come to realize that ang selos is a valid feeling. It's not something to be ashamed of because nagseselos ka dahil mahal mo yung tao eh. Ano ba yung kailangan ng tao pag nagseselos? You need assurance. You need communication,” Umali added.
Madrid previously opened up about his infidelity during his Aug. 4 appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, where he admitted that he cheated on Umali when he was 20 years old. He said the experience made him realize Umali’s importance in his life. They eventually broke up for eight months before reconciling.
The longtime couple quietly began dating in 2018, only confirming their relationship in 2022. In later interviews, they have both spoken about finding "the one" in each other and being in talks about marriage.