Ellen Adarna and John Lloyd Cruz reunited for a special moment as they both attended the piano recital of their son, Elias, offering a rare but warm glimpse of their co-parenting dynamic.
The moment was shared through a series of Instagram Stories on December 14, where Ellen reposted photos originally uploaded by talent manager Van Soyosa. One of the images showed Ellen and John Lloyd standing onstage with Elias, who was proudly holding his certificate of achievement after completing his recital. In other stories that Ellen reshared, Elias appeared fully immersed in the moment during the recital.
Also in attendance was John Lloyd’s girlfriend, artist Isabel Santos. She shared photos and a backstage video of Elias from the recital, several of which Ellen reposted on her own stories, writing: “Hi tita sabel! 👋”.
The two women also posed for a photo with John Lloyd and other friends, subtly reflecting their comfortable and friendly relationship.
Ellen brought her one-year-old daughter Lili, whom she shares with Derek Ramsay. Lili appeared in a lighthearted moment captured in one of the stories, where John Lloyd could be heard laughing as the toddler playfully tried on a pair of sunglasses that were clearly too big for her.
As the stories unfolded, Ellen, John Lloyd, and Isabel appeared at ease with one another, creating a scene that many viewers described as a modern family coming together to support a child’s milestone. Netizens were quick to react to the posts, praising the visible co-parenting setup and the presence of everyone involved in Elias’ life.
“The most present daddy award goes to JL,” one netizen wrote.
“I love how co-parenting works with these too. Especially with the support of the significant other for JL’s part,” another commented.
READ: Ellen Adarna calls John Lloyd Cruz 'a good and present father' to their son Elias
The moment echoed statements Ellen previously shared about John Lloyd’s role as a father. In November, while answering questions from netizens on Instagram Stories, she spoke about his presence in Elias’ life.
“With JL (John Lloyd), day, wala talaga ako masabi. I have nothing but good things to say about him, you know. We had differences in the past but I respect him because he is a very good provider. He is honest and he is a very present father,” she shared.
She added further context about their separation, explaining, “Take note na noong naghiwalay kami ni JL that was before Elias turned 1 year old, present siya. Ayon ‘yun.”
She likewise defended John Lloyd from rumors about his financial status, stating, “And ‘wag mong ismolin si Biogesic (John Lloyd) because simple lang siya. Ikaw you don’t know, but ang assets no’n, I know you know. And kung maki-Marites ka man lang, at least get everything right, like everything. Mahirap naman sabihing unreliable source, I’m a liar.”
READ: Ellen Adarna shares glimpse into co-parenting with John Lloyd Cruz
Ellen has also been open about the practical side of their co-parenting arrangement. In 2023, she shared how they discussed Elias’ needs, saying, “I am going to answer this because I get this a lot. Yes, he does [provide]. He asked me how much does Elias need. I gave him a breakdown of his basic needs, just his basic needs. That’s P10,000 max.”
She later explained that John Lloyd often tries to give more than what she asks for, but she sets boundaries. “I know he’s more than capable of giving more than that, but I told him I cannot accept anything more than P20,000 and that’s it.”
READ: John Lloyd Cruz confirms relationship with artist Isabel Santos
Ellen clarified her reasoning behind this decision, sharing, “And because we are co-parenting, I have my obligations and responsibilities for Elias so it’s just fair. Anything more than P20,000 for me is just not right. Because he’s not schooling yet, so that’s just basic needs.”
Ellen and John Lloyd first confirmed their relationship publicly in 2017 and reportedly split in 2019, without publicly discussing the details of their separation. Since then, both have moved forward with their lives, with Ellen marrying Derek in 2021 and John Lloyd publicly confirming his relationship with Isabel in 2023.
As of writing, Ellen has already separated from Derek after revealing that he had allegedly cheated on her.