They were very happy and quite excited to share the big news they kept secret for months now as they looked back on their 15-year love story.
“ULTIMATE STAR” JENNYLYN MERCADO IS PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD WITH AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, DENNIS TRILLO.
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A ROSE
“Teen pa ako nu’n, eh. Sa debut ko, isa siya sa mga 18 Roses sa debut ko. Pero hindi pa kami nagkakatrabaho nu’n; first time lang namin nagkita nu’n. In-invite siya ni—kasi
Regal Babies kami—Mother Lily na kung puwedeng maging isa sa mga 18 Roses ng debut ko,” Jen recalls.
“Regal ako, so ayun, pumunta rin ako du’n. Sa Megamall pa nga ‘ di ba ‘to?! Parang sa labas ng sinehan, tama ba?] Oo, sa labas ng sinehan!” Dennis remembers too.
“Medyo kilala na kasi parang siya ‘yung sa Starstruck batch 1, tapos siya ‘yung pinaka-matunog na pangalan du’n, eh. So, siyempre nu’ng panahon na ‘yun, alam ko na ‘yun. Pero alam ko rin na parang meron siyang parang ka-love team kaya medyo hindi na rin ako nanligaw din sa kanya,” he adds.
Dennis was 26 when Jen turned 18 and neither knew that the future had something special in store for them.
After an experimental pairing by their home network,
GMA, in Now And Forever, that lasted only for about a month, the two officially first started to work together in the drama remake Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak.
“‘Yun. Du’n kami na-develop!” Jen laughs.
“Totoo naman, totoo naman,” Dennis agrees.
“Almost everyday magkasama, tapos ‘yung roles namin du’n parang mag-asawa. Tapos siyempre habang nakakasama mo siya, nakikilala mo, tapos minsa nare-realize mo na, ‘Uy, parang okay ‘to, ah.’ ‘Yung genuine niya, parang gan’on. So, ‘yun; mga gan’on,” Dennis shares.
“Pareho kaming single parents,” Dennis admits.
“Yes. So, du’n pa lang, parang marami nang puwedeng pag-usapan,” Jen recalls their point of connection.
Jennylyn is mom to son Jazz (with actor Patrick Garcia) who is now 13, and Dennis is dad to Calix (with former beauty queen Carlene Aguilar) who is now 14. The four of them have become a very strong family unit. But it wasn’t always like that.
After almost two years together, Jen and Dennis broke up and parted ways.
“Mga bata pa kasi kami nu’n, eh, so palagi kaming nagaaway. [chuckles] Ta’s ‘yung pinag-aawayan namin ‘yung talagang, ‘Bakit hindi ka nag-text? Bakit hindi mo sinagot ‘yung tawag ko?’ ‘yung gan’ong kabababaw lang; ‘yung ngayon kung iisipin namin, nakakatawa kasi sobrang babaw. Hindi kami nagkakaroon ng problema na may ibang party or may barkada or may bisyo —walang gan’on. So, laging mga maliliit lang ta’s lumalaki lang siya,” Jen explains.
‘Tsaka immature pa kami pareho nu’n. Mm-hmm. Siguro, ‘yun nga, ‘yung parehong pagiging immature nu’ng mga utak namin. Ako, ‘yung mga priorities ko, parang ‘ di ko pa rin siguro nase-set nang maayos. So, ‘yun.” Dennis adds.
Before they got back together, in the four years they
