Cristine Reyes opens up about failed marriage

Cristine Reyes opened up about her failed marriage to her ex-husband during her guesting on "The Sexytime Podcast," hosted by sisters Isabelle and Ava Daza. 

In the podcast's latest episode, Cristine was asked whether she instantly knew she was going to marry him. 

Without naming her ex, the actress admitted that she didn't.

"Honestly hindi. Hindi ko siya nakita as the guy for me. Alam mo 'yung — tayong girls 'pag may pagka-bad boy feels, naka-motorcycle tapos fighter, syempre na-impress ka," she shared.

According to Cristine, she was in her early twenties when they got together, noting that she didn't want to date anyone from showbiz. 

"Sumama ako dito sa non-showbiz, so parang for me it's something new. Dadalhin niya 'ko somewhere na hindi ako dinadala ng iba, so parang dun ako medyo nadala."

She also admitted that it was a mistake that they got married when they found out she was pregnant. Per Cristine, her ex's family agreed that they should get married, while her family did not. 

"'Yun 'yung mistake ko na parang feeling ko nag-pa-pressure ako sa society na 'ay di ako married tapos pregnant ako so kailangan kasal kami.' Tapos inisip ko si Amarah, parang gusto ko siyang bigyan ng family, buo. Wala, mali," she said. 

When asked about the worst thing an ex did to her, the actress recalled the time her ex-husband forgot their wedding anniversary. 

"Ito talaga 'yung worst. Sinong matinong tao makakalimot ng anniversary niyo, ng wedding anniversary niyo? Dun talaga ako nag-p-pray na parang, 'pag wala talaga siyang ginawa, ayoko na." 

Isabelle also asked Cristine about alleged abuse in their relationship, saying, "You experienced domestic abuse. How did you overcome that?"

"'Yung mga ganiyang bagay hindi ko na rin sinasabi. May time na talagang nag-force pa siya sa — yeah, as in forced, so parang ako, andaming beses napalampas," Cristine alleged. 

At the time, she admitted feeling shame for what happened, saying, "Sinong maniniwala? Sasabihin nila Cristine ka eh, ikaw si Cristine Reyes, matapang ka eh. Sinong maniniwala sa 'kin, 'di ba?" 

GMA News Online has reached out to Ali Khatibi, who said "at this point in my life, I have to decide which matters more, the family I’m trying to build or self-preservation. I hope you will understand that I choose the prior. I will allow this to die a natural death without me adding fuel to the fire."

"This way, we can all move on to building something better with our new lives," he added. 

For Cristine, the turning point happened after she prayed for a sign, saying she would leave her ex if he doesn't do anything for their wedding anniversary. 

"Siguro nung nag-pray ako na 'pag sa wedding anniversary namin wala siyang ginawa. I mean, like flowers man lang or anything, dinner. Wala, so nakipaghiwalay ako sa kaniya. Sabi ko sa kaniya, tanungin mo sarili mo for five years na magkasama tayo, did you ever ask me out on a date?" said Cristine. 

"Well, fault ko rin naman dahil hinayaan ko 'yun. Anyway, wala siyang masagot na may one time, halika mag-date tayo. Kasi nga to begin with, nagpakasal ako because nga out of natatakot ako sa society. Nadala ako." 

The actress also advised those who may be going through a similar situation, telling them to stay close to their family. 

"Lumayo kasi ako sa family ko eh, so ang advice ko, stick with your family. Kasi whatever happens, sila 'yung sasalo sa 'yo kasi nung nangyari yun, sila 'yung andiyan," she said. 

Cristine got married to professional MMA fighter Ali Khatibi in 2016. They have one daughter, Amarah, born in 2015.

In February 2024, Cristine confirmed on "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" that she has been annulled from Ali for more than a year. 

—CDC/LA, GMA News