The Philippines’ Concert King and Queen Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez opened up about love, heartbreak, healing, and family during their guesting on Beyond the Exchange with Rico Hizon on ANC.
In their first full-length interview together with the veteran broadcaster, the former couple—now longtime concert partners—spoke honestly about their painful separation, their personal journeys to healing, and how they rebuilt their relationship for the sake of their family and fans.
Pops recalled, “It was like that deep, deep hole of nothingness. For a while I thought, oh my God, am I ever going to recover from this?” She shared how her healing took 10 years, full of prayer and acceptance: “You have to really try to let go of all the pain… Acceptance. This is happening. And then finally, this was your decision, so you have to be strong enough to live with your decision.”
Martin admitted his guilt: “Being the aggriever, it was not easy living with myself. It was not easy living with the guilt… I had disappeared. I changed the color of my hair. I went through some sort of a personal rebellion.” But he also emphasized the turning point: “There’s a bigger prize that we need to preserve… the treasure being the family, the kids.”
Their sons Robin and Ram played a key role in holding them together: “Rob and Ram were very, very instrumental in keeping us together in every shape and form,” said Martin.
The two eventually found reconciliation on stage. “I always say… Martin and I are really better on stage. We get along much better when we’re on stage,” Pops said, with Martin agreeing, “The concert stage basically healed… It’s what brought us together again.”
When asked what advice they would give others going through similar experiences, Martin shared, “Go to the very beginning. Don’t forget why you were put together in the first place. God had a purpose for us… Maybe it’s to perform, to inspire, to entertain, to change lives.”
The two also spoke about their blended family, including Martin’s youngest son, Santino. Pops recalled a touching moment when she first met him: “He goes, ‘Tita Pops, I love you, Tita Pops.’ And that really broke my heart… That’s when I realized I’m okay.”
Now proud grandparents, Martin and Pops say they remain grateful to their loyal fans, many of whom still hold on to hope. “Thank God they’re still hopeful. That gives us more reason to make our shows exciting,” said Pops.
Martin added, “Love conquers all. It doesn’t have to be a love between two people who are wearing the same ring… Love can be unconditional, universal.”
As for their dream final duet? Pops chose “Both Sides Now” while Martin picked “Time of My Life,” sharing, “Our life has been defined by things that have happened in the past… and it’s brought us to this stage today, where we are having the time of our life.”
Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez sent congratulations to Good News Pilipinas on its milestone 15th-year anniversary. Check out the videos here:
Catch their full conversation in Beyond the Exchange with Rico Hizon, aired on ANC here:
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