Rabiya Mateo on relationship status with long-time BF Neil Salvacion: 'It’s a complicated situation... but we're friends'
Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Mateo finally responded to the rumors that she has already broken up with her long-time boyfriend Neil Salvacion.
To recall, her fans and followers speculated that the two have split after noticing that Neil had deleted photos of him and Rabiya together that were previously posted on his Instagram account.
The breakup rumors grew when Rabiya was seen to be spending time with model Andre Brouillette in the US during the same time when the media picked up the fans' speculations over the beauty queen's relationship status.
In an interview with Boy Abunda on his YouTube channel on Sunday, May 30, Rabiya admitted that her and Neil's relationship is going through some hurdles. "It’s a complicated situation."
Rabiya added, "We need to talk about things when we go back to the Philippines."
The 24-year-old beauty queen said she and Neil currently have an open line of communication. "But we’re friends, we’re friends. I still try to contact him. But we need to have this space together, as of the moment."
She further explained, "I’m not closing any doors. We’ve been in this kind of situation before. We’ve been together for seven years. So who knows, who knows."
Whatever it is that she and Neil are going through, Rabiya added that Andre has nothing to do with it. Rabiya said that she had only met Andre two times prior to the meeting last week that further escalated the rumors of her supposed breakup with Neil. She reiterated that, like her, Andre is a talent under Miss Universe Philippines creative director Jonas Gaffud.
"Nahihiya ako kay Andre. That’s because yung mga photos na kumalat, that was the third time that I was able to talk to him," she explained.
Andre, too, said that he and Rabiya are only friends in an interview last week.
“Rabiya is Miss Universe Philippines 2020. And we have the same agency, the same team that’s managing her. I was able to meet her as I came to Miami to do hosting for Miss Universe updates,” the 24-year-old model said.
Talking about his viral photos with Rabiya, Andre said: "I can’t control what people think. With that photo, what happened was we picked her up from the airport. We had time and we were all hungry. We went out and had a great lunch in Beverly Hills.”
He added, "“My intention with uploading that photo is (to show that) it was a great time with friends and a great lunch, with Miss Universe Philippines 2020. So, great photo to upload, right?”
Rabiya is still in the US, weeks after the 69th Miss Universe pageant in Hollywood, Florida, for a vacation.
Banner photo from Instagram/Rabiya Mateo