MANILA, Philippines — Actress-host Gee Canlas has confirmed that she has separated from her husband, actor-comedian Archie Alemania, and said she regrets not leaving the marriage earlier.
In a March 3 interview on the talk show “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” Canlas answered “Yes” when asked directly if she and Alemania were no longer together.
“I confirm that we’re not together anymore. But that was not a decision I took lightly. It’s not something that was done on a whim. I made sure that I was at a point in my life where I was already weighing what matters most in my life,” she said.
Canlas described the breakup as “very, very hard,” saying it meant letting go of a lifelong dream.
“It has always been my dream to have a family. That was my life. For me to weigh that and decide to move forward and put an end to it is something I’m still processing until today,” she added.
Asked if it was a mutual decision, she answered, “No, I left. I was the one who left the marriage.”
The couple married in 2018 in a garden wedding in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. They have one child, Caleb, whom Canlas says her top priority.
“My first priority is Caleb. My first priority is creating a stable environment for him,” she said, adding that filing for annulment is “on my plate right now,” though not her immediate focus.
Asked whether Alemania’s legal case last year played a role in their separation, Canlas said the breakup was not caused by a single issue.
“I don’t think it’s one specific thing. It’s not a black-and-white, one-plus-one kind of situation. Over time, things accumulated. It’s a lot of pieces that eventually caused the demise of our marriage,” she said.
Alemania made headlines in October after a court found him guilty in an acts of lasciviousness case filed by actress Rita Daniela. Daniela accused him of sexually violating her and making repeated inappropriate remarks during a ride home from a gathering in 2024. The court sentenced Alemania to up to one year in jail and ordered him to pay P20,000 in civil indemnity and P20,000 in moral damages.
During that period, Canlas said she chose to stay and try to protect her family.
“With my family. I stayed. I really tried to fight to keep my family together. At that time, I was told I had to be strong. So I didn’t really have time to absorb everything right away. My mindset was, ‘How do I save my family? How do I come through for my child?’ said Canlas.
She admitted she once felt anger but now feels mostly sadness.
“I would be fake if I told him I didn’t feel anything. But now it’s more like there’s nothing left. I’m sad,” she said.
Canlas also expressed regret over not leaving sooner.
“I should have left earlier. I should have listened to myself when I felt like I was already being drained,” she added.
Meanwhile, asked what he says when her son asks about his father, Canlas said she tries to shield him from the situation.
“I tell him, ‘Daddy is in space. He’s helping the earth. He’s an astronaut. He’s saving the planet,’” she said.
In ending, Canlas said she is still processing the separation.
“Life doesn’t stop. The days don’t stop. So I have no choice. I have to keep going,” Canlas noted.
