Mark Leviste reminisces about meeting Kris Aquino for the first time
Mark Leviste couldn’t help but blush as he talked about Kris Aquino and how their romance began.
In an interview with entertainment columnist Butch Francisco published on Monday, Aug. 7, the vice governor of Batangas recalled meeting the multimedia personality for the first time when he took part in the game show Deal or No Deal that Kris hosted.
“The first time we met, I became a contestant on Deal or No Deal at doon sa palabas na ‘yun, nanalo ako ng piso,” he recalled.
“Sabi ng mga producers, ako lang daw ang naglakas-loob na humalik sa kanya, nagbeso-beso nung tinawag ang pangalan ko from the audience area to go onstage with her,” he said. “Hindi ko maitanggi nung tinanong ako 'Saan ka kumuha ng lakas ng loob para humalik kay Kris Aquino? Ikaw lang gumawa nun.' Sabi ko, hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili ko dahil talagang crush na crush ko si Miss Kris.”
He was only able to try his luck with Kris in 2019, when she shared in a social media post that she was “open to a new relationship.”
“May qualities pa eh, parang 40 or 45 and above. She does not mind dating a solo parent or single father,” he recalled. They had a brief exchange in the comment section and Kris eventually let him court her for a while, but it didn’t work out.
Kris left the Philippines in June 2022 to get treatment for her autoimmune diseases in the United States. The stars finally aligned when she let him spend the New Year with them in the US.
“I visited Kris last Jan. 1 in LA. I texted her days before New Year. I said, ‘I’m in town, can I visit you?’ Lo and behold, she replied and allowed me to go to her place, and the rest, as they say, is history,” he shared.
Mark, on Jan. 3, sparked dating rumors with Kris after posting about welcoming 2023 together. He fondly called her the “Queen” in their Instagram snaps, where he can be seen enjoying a meal with Kris and bonding with her children. He confirmed in the same interview that they have been together since.
Whenever Kris is in pain due to her health condition, Mark would sing along as she plays worship songs for comfort and make her feel loved and cared for in his own ways. “I’ll keep that to myself, but I have my way of making her happy.”
Kris confirmed her past relationship and split with Mark on July 10, saying that she had to put it on pause due to her current situation abroad.
The two, however, fueled reconciliation rumors after Kris confirmed just recently that she gave him a trinity ring. “We’re trying our best to make what we have work,” she explained in the comment section of a fan page’s post about the gift that symbolizes love, friendship, and fidelity.
“Now, this is our seventh month going eighth because August na,” Mark also said in the same interview.