AC Bonifacio opens up on cutting communication with ex-BF Harvey Bautista

The actress says she’s “incredibly good” and “so glowing” as she heals from their breakup and focuses on herself.

AC Bonifacio has chosen to cut communication with ex-boyfriend Harvey Bautista as she continues to heal from their breakup, saying she needed to protect herself from further pain.

After confirming her breakup with Bautista on the “Painfully Human” podcast hosted by Edward Barber last March 20, the Kapamilya actress recently opened up about their current relationship.

When asked by radar Entertainment if she and Bautista still communicate, Bonifacio said she personally decided to end their communication for her own well-being.

“Usap? ‘Di na. I personally choose not to. ‘Di ko kasalanan. I’m gonna protect myself from the pain that I was put through,” she said.

Bonifacio also clarified that no third party was involved in their breakup, adding that she was the one who made the decision to end the relationship.

“Walang third party. Mutual? Hindi, my decision. Respeto na lang din sa akin,” she said.

Despite the difficult experience, Bonifacio said she is now in a much better place as she moves forward.

“So good, incredibly good,” she stressed. “I’m so glowing, so okay. That was just something in my life that I also have to go through and learn from. I’m so young, I’m 23, I’m still learning in terms of love.”

She credited her close circle of friends and her mother for helping her through the difficult period. “They have been very supportive. They have been by my side through all of that. Right now, I’m focusing on myself,” she said.

Bonifacio’s experience of dealing with public scrutiny also shaped how she handles painful moments. As one of the celebrity housemates on “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition” in 2025, she was previously tagged as the “number one most hated” housemate, exposing her to heavy online backlash.

While she knew criticism was part of being in showbiz, Bonifacio admitted that the harsh comments still affected her.

“Being part of the industry, I was already warned to get bashed or anything. Siguro it’s just really only the people na kilala talaga ako. When you speak to me and ask me, you’ll understand that whatever may happen, but also bashers just won’t listen,” she said.

“Even if you’re a good person, hahanap at hahanap talaga sila ng mali sa iyo, and those people will just stick to that. No point of explaining. Doon ako sa mga friends ko, alam kong kilala ako and they love me.”

For Bonifacio, allowing herself to feel hurt is part of the process of eventually moving forward.

“Affected, of course. I’m a human being. I’m not gonna act, ‘I’m perfect,’ or whatever! I will cry it out. It’s part of the grieving process,” she said.

“I will allow myself to feel the pain. I will allow myself to get hurt. I’ll cry over it and then eventually I’ll move on, kasi what can I do? All they can do is to keep bashing me if I choose not to grow, pero I will get up on my feet and I’ll get better and I’ll learn. ’Yon lang ang kaya kong gawin.”

As she focuses on healing herself, Bonifacio is also looking forward to a new chapter on the big screen with “Saving Cherry,” a comedy-drama produced by Regal Films and directed by Ivan Andrew Payawal.

The film stars Barbie Forteza, Mika Salamanca, Mikee Quintos, Sassa Gurl, JC Alcantara, and Khalil Ramos, with Bonifacio among its cast members.

Bonifacio said she was grateful that the production trusted her with the role, admitting that receiving the script initially made her question whether she was truly capable of taking it on.

“Incredible. When I first got the script for the movie, I asked, ‘Totoo ba na they really think kaya ko ito?’ But the fact that they gave it to me, that they believed in me, that belief just makes me so much more excited and wanting to work better and learn more. Just feeling proud,” she said.

She also had nothing but praise for Forteza, whom she said impressed her so much that there were moments when she simply wanted to watch her perform.

“There were moments na nagsi-scene pero gusto ko na lang maging audience kasi gusto ko talagang manood kay Barbie Forteza. The way that she portrays herself in this movie, on a different level,” Bonifacio said. “There are still nights that I think about those scenes. Paano ni’ya nagawa ’yon?”

“Saving Cherry” will hit theaters nationwide on Sept. 2, 2026.

READ: