MANILA – Ria Atayde and Joshua Garcia are being romantically linked for a while now, but the actress forthrightly debunked these rumors saying they are just really good friends.
In an interview during the recently concluded press conference for “Misis Piggy,” Atayde said she and Garcia are just laughing off the rumors at this point.
“It’s Josh. He’s such a dear friend to me and I feel like it’s nice to know that we are as comfortable as we are with one another,” she said.
Amid all the rumors saying they are together, Atayde said: “Mas nare-reassure ako sa lalim ng friendship namin. For us to be able to withstand all the rumors and whatever people throw at us, parang kampante ako that we could be friends forever.”
When asked if there was never any physical attraction between them, Atayde did not deny that she finds Garcia as an attractive guy.
“Joshua is an attractive guy. He’s just really younger, and I think for me, that’s such a – alam niyo iyon, I am 30 and Josh is turning 25 pa lang.”
Nonetheless, Atayde said she understands why there are people who would want to be in her position.
“I get it. Josh is an amazing guy. Tama din naman pero some people are better off as friends because that way, mas secure ka na hindi mo siya mawawala in your life. We are better off as friends and at least I know it’s something I can keep forever.”
Rumors linking Atayde and Garcia surfaced after their “barkada” photos were uploaded online. The two were assumed to be together because in their previous group travels together, they were with couples Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo and Sofia Andres and Daniel Miranda.
Atayde already previously explained that she became close with Garcia because he worked with her mother Sylvia Sanchez in the 2016 series “The Greatest Love.” (ABS–CBN News)
