MANILA -- James Yap and his girlfriend of over a year, Michela Cazzola, made their first public appearance together at a party attended by local entertainment personalities Saturday.
The 31-year-old star cager was accompanied by Cazzola at the birthday celebration of talent manager Arnold Vegafria, who is also Yap's business agent.
Although Yap had only started hinting at his romantic relationship in June through photos on Instagram, ABS-CBN News has learned that he and the Italian national have been a couple for more than a year now.
Cazzola is a secretariat specialist at the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines. She is no stranger to the country, as her father also worked here for a time.
Early this month, Cazzola met Yap's family when the basketball player's father celebrated his birthday.
Yap's going public with his relationship with Cazzola comes after a series of controversies involving him and his former wife, actress-host Kris Aquino, and their only child, James "Bimby" Yap, Jr.
Aquino and Yap were married in civil rites in July 2005. Their marriage was declared null in February last year, following allegations of infidelity on Yap's part.
The father no longer has custody of Bimby, but was recently allowed to resume visiting his son after a Makati court denied Aquino's appeal for a permanent protection order against him and a subsequent "compromise" between the former couple.
While Yap appears ready to introduce Cazzola to local showbiz, the San Mig Coffee player has said this isn't the case when it comes to his son.
Asked in an earlier interview whether he wants to introduce Cazzola to Bimby, Yap said, "Wag ko muna isipin 'yun. Ang iniisip ko muna kung paano ko ibo-bonding 'yung anak ko. 'Di ko pa iniisip kung ipapakilala ko siya." -- Report from Mario Dumaual, ABS-CBN News
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
