Sina Ariel Rivera, 59, at Gelli de Belen, 52, ay maituturing na isa sa mga may matatag na relasyong nabuo sa showbiz.
Sa loob ng 28 taon nilang pagsasama, tila payapa ang relasyon ng mag-asawa at walang na-link na ibang babae kay Ariel.
Sa panayam ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), tinanong ng awtor na ito kung paano napaglabanan ni Ariel ang mga tukso, lalo't kung ito na mismo ang lumalapit sa kanya.
"Well, kahit papaano mayroon naman, but you never put yourself in that position," saad ni Ariel.
"Kung sasabihin ng babae na somebody you find even slightly attractive, she will say 'Puwede ba sumabay sa iyo pauwi?' Umiwas ka na, don't share a car with her."
Hindi na raw dapat humantong sa puntong kailangan i-test ang sarili laban sa temptasyon.
Ani Ariel, "Kung alam mo, 'I find this girl attractive,' lumayo ka na, layuan mo na, it's unnecessary."
Ano ang sikreto sa kanilang matatag na buhay mag-asawa ni Gelli?
Sagot ni Ariel: "For me talaga [ang sikreto] is respect, respeto, in any marriage before anything else. Wag na yung love kasi yung love it's a given.
"But for me, like I've said, ganito ang paniniwala ko for a relationship to last, you have to have a mutual respect for one another.
"Pakinggan kung ano ang nararamdaman at sinasabi niya, and vice versa."
Sa unang tingin kay Arniel ay mukha siyang tahimik at seryoso, habang si Gelli ay madalas nakikitang madaldal at makuwela onscreen.
Kahit ang dating sa tao ay magkaiba ang personalidad nina Ariel at Gelli.
Ayon kay Ariel, palabiro din siya sa mga malapit na kakilala.
Aniya, "Di ako seryoso. I'm like Randy [Santiago]. Kaso lang mas tahimik ako. Kahit lumaki ako sa Canada, kanto boy ako, yung ugali ko kanto boy.
"I'm not a conservative person. Maloko ako, tahimik lang."
Read: Zaldy-Mylene Co renewal of vows sa Vatican City, muling lumitaw
NOT INTO GRAND ROMANTIC GESTURES
Dahil malapit na silang magdiwang ng 30th anniversary bilang couple, tinanong ng PEP kung plano nilang magkaroon ng big celebration.
Sabi ni Ariel, "Wala akong pakialam sa mga renewal of vows, di importante. We don't even celebrate anniversaries, wala kaming ganun."
Sila ba yung tipong nagde-date?
Pag-amin ni Ariel, "Never. Nagkikita kami every day. Magde-date kayo, lalabas pa kayo. I don't like crowds. I like being at home with my wife, my dog, my kids. That's my life."
Simple raw ang love language nilang mag-asawa, at hindi kinakailangan ng grand gestures.
"We're very sweet. When we sleep we hold hands. We always talk. We wait for each other. Pag nagtatrabaho naghihintayan kami.
"For example, today nagpunta siya ng Tagaytay, mag-golf siya. Ako I have meetings.
"Pag banyo ko, sa mirror nakalagay dun in lipstick, 'I love you, Honey.' Sumulat ako dun black marker, 'I love you more, Honey.' Mga ganun. That keeps relationships alive."
Read: Aiko Melendez confirms breakup with Congressman Jay Khonghun
ARIEL RIVERA ON HIS SHOWBIZ CAREER
Nakapanayam ng PEP si Ariel sa presscon para sa Sing Galing: Sing-lebrity edition noong September 24, 2025.
Dito ay napag-usapan din ang showbiz career ni Ariel.
Nakilala siyang magaling na singer, at maraming pinasikat na kanta tulad ng "Ayoko Na Sana," "Sana Kahit Minsan," "Sana Ngayong Pasko," at iba pa.
Napanood din siya sa mga teleserye tulad ng The Fake Life (2022), A Soldier's Heart (2020), at Sandugo (2019-2020).
Tinanghal siyang Best Supporting Actor para sa pelikulang Labis Kitang Mahal noong 1992 Metro Manila Film Fest at Best New Male Artist ng Awit Awards noong 1991.
Mayroon din siyang higit kumulang pitong platinum albums.
Na-appreciate man niya ay hindi raw siya ang tipong nagtatago ng awards.
Paliwanag ni Ariel: "My career is not important talaga. When I I came [to the Philippines] twenty years ago, my goal in life is to be a good husband, be a good father, that's it.
"Whatever it is that I got, whether it's a gold album, platinum, acting awards, tinatapon ko lahat yun.
"I throw it away in the garbage kasi di importante sa akin yun. It's not important to me.
"Kaya you come to my house wala kang makikita na poster ng movie ko, wala kang makikita na awards ko, kasi pag natanggap ko yun, tinatapon ko agad yun kasi di importante sa akin yun."
Mas may bigat daw para kay Arniel ang relasyon niya sa pamilya.
"Trophies are just a trophy. It's a piece of wood. I appreciate it [but] I don't need to be reminded of what I did.
"Ang mas importante sa akin ay ang mga anak ko, yung asawa ko. Yun lang ang importante sa akin, pamilya ko, that's it.
"Kung anuman ang nangyayari sa industriya, wala akong pakialam sa kanila.
"That's just me. I know my friends, and I'm concerned when something happens to them."
Sa tagal daw niya sa industriya, hindi niya hinayaang umakyat sa ulo niya ang pagiging kilalang artista.
Lahad niya: "Kanina I was asked, sinagot ko, wag ninyong damdamin or don't believe in your writeups just because somebody says you are a great actor, a good singer, etc.
"Who cares? Who the hell cares if you are a good actor or a good singer? What is importance is when I sing, when I act, I make people happy and they enjoy what I do.
"I have trophies. Ang kini-keep ko lang golf trophies. "
Tinanong din namin si Ariel kung di ba niya naisip na baka ma-offend ang mga nagbigay ng awards sa kanya.
"I appreciate that you give me an award, and really sincerely do.
"But don't take offense with [what I do with it] kasi it's mine na. It's just a piece of trophy pag tinapon ko, so what?
"I want them to remember me as a good person, a good father and a good husband, that's it."
Hindi lang daw talaga para itago niya ang anumang trophy.
Anong sinasabi ni Gelli?
Sagot ni Ariel, "Ang sinasabi niya, 'Ay, ganun talaga siya, e.' Ganun ako, what can I do? It's not that I don't appreciate it. Walang kahalagahan sa akin yun."
Ayon pa kay Ariel, ayaw niyang gawin siyang idolo ng ibang tao.
"I really don't like that. They should be idolizing their parents, not me. It shouldn't be somebody from the TV.
"I want to inspire them, but I don't want them idolizing me. I want to inspire people but not to idolize me," ani Ariel.
Dagdag niya, "My contribution to music is may mga kanta na akong nilabas, may mga movies na akong nilabas, that's it, that's all I want.
"If it's there, it's there, it's forever there. Music will always be there kahit mamatay na ako ten years from now, my music is still there. That's all I want."
Read: Meet Pavel Durov, the man behind Telegram and Dubai’s richest man
ARIEL RIVERA ON BEING A JUDGE IN SING GALING
Si Ariel ay isa sa Jukebosses sa Sing-Galing Sing-lebrity edition na nagsimulang umere noong September 27 at 28 sa TV5.
Kasama niyang mga hurado sina Rey Valera, Nina, at Ella May Saison.
Ayon kay Ariel sobra niyang nae-enjoy na maging parte ng show na ito ng TV5 at Media Quest.
"I said kanina with my interview, isa si Kuya Rey sa hinahangaan ko genuinely.
"And these are the people I work with na pag nasa set kami, we have a great time, walang kaere-ere. That's such refreshing na experience na walang paistaran, pantay-pantay kayong lahat."
Dagdag pa ni Ariel: "Very few shows, very few artists will tell you, they go to a show na walang kastress-stress. Ito talaga walang stress.
"I love going to the show, collaborating with them, magkuwentuhan with them. Enjoy kasi wala silang kaere-ere. It makes [work] easier."