Xian Lim confirms he's dating Iris Lee: 'We are very happy'
Xian Lim confirmed that he’s dating filmmaker Iris Lee.
“Yes, I’m seeing Iris,” the actor said in his interview on Esquire Philippines’ May 2024 cover story.
“Just to clear everything, to clear all the speculations. We are seeing each other and we are very happy,” he continued, adding, “Iris is a talented filmmaker. She's my producer and she's also my creative partner.”
He clarified that he and Iris started dating after his split with Kim Chiu—whom he has been with for 12 years—refuting rumors that there was a third party involved in the cause of his split with the latter.
“These are the things that I want to clarify,” he says. “There's no third party. That's it. That plain and simple,” he stressed.
“Another rumor: when I see my friends—the people who are the last to even care about these things—kino-congratulate na ko. They say, ‘Congratulations on the marriage in New York!’ And I'm like, no, I am not married,” he added.
The Love. Die. Repeat star also refuted one “absurd article” saying that he’s been living with someone for years.
“The only people I live with is my mom, my lola, my lolo. These are the things na, parang, it's just so absurd and it's just…why?!” he lamented.
On his split with Kim Chiu
Xian and Kim confirmed their breakup in December 2023. In the same interview, the actor remained mum on the cause of their split.
“No one will truly know what is going on in a relationship. Kaming dalawa lang makakapagsabi. And that is why it was our conscious effort to release that statement, and let's just leave it at that,” he said, adding that it was their mutual understanding for them both. “Hindi na kailangan pang magsabi kung sino'ng nakulang.”
He then described his romance with Kim as “beautiful relationship.”
“It was a beautiful 12 years, and we worked it out. That's why it lasted that long,” he said.
It was also the time when he was rumored to be dating Iris. In February, the two were spotted going to motorcycle riding school together with their friends, including singer JK Labajo and beauty queen Dia Mate.
Talking more about love, Xian shared he’s the type of person who goes “all out.”
“As a guy, when I’m seeing someone, I'm all out. I'm not the type to fish around, yung parang, ‘Okay, tingnan natin kung okay ‘to,’” he began, sharing his thoughts about “taxicab theory.”
“Of course, there's that initial thinking na parang, ‘Swak ba tayo?’,” he adds. “But me, I'm all out na parang this is for the long-term. We are going to work through this hanggang sa dulo. That's my vision, that's my perception on finding a partner, about finding love in general,” he continued.
“So that taxicab theory, parang hindi ko lang siya masakyan. But that's just me, that's how I love. Kung magmahal ako, lubos, buong kaluluwa,” he added.
Prior to this, he also described it as a "very painful" and "magical" feeling during his guest appearance on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.
"I think that’s what love does to you but at a certain point, love disappears, and I think, doon na magiging choice ang pagmamahalan,” he said.
