Cup of Joe’s Gian Bernardino and singer-actress Maris Racal recently gave fans a look at how they made their viral "plot twist" pre-Valentine’s photo that led many to speculate about their relationship.
Last February 12, the two singers stirred buzz online after posting a photo together where Gian was resting on Maris’s shoulder while she held a bouquet of flowers. The timing, just days before Valentine’s Day, added to the intrigue.
Maris kept her caption short and simple, writing: “plot twist 🤍”, which immediately left fans wondering about the real score between them.
Following the wave of hilarious reactions and speculations, both Gian and Maris shared behind-the-scenes clips explaining how the now-viral photo was created.
READ: Maris Racal reveals the ‘plot twist' with Cup of Joe’s Gian Bernardino
On TikTok, the Cup of Joe vocalist showed a clip of Maris arranging his hand over the bouquet for the photo. In the video, she could be heard instructing him to make it look “nakakalalaki” while posing.
“pov ginawa kang pang clout ng mars mo this valentine’s,” Gian, who shared in 2025 that he was a pansexual man, wrote in the caption. “Hirap itago… ng nail art,” he added.
Maris joined in the comments section, jokingly asking, “Anong tawagan niyo, 'mhie??' 😭😭😭”
Later, the Sunshine actress also shared her own version of the prank on her TikTok account. She captioned her post: “happy valentines mhie and dhie”.
In her video, the two were seen posing for the sweet photo while Maris held a large bouquet of flowers. She openly explained their intention behind the post.
“Ang goal is gumawa tayo ng prank,” she told Gian.
At one point, Maris laughingly asked, “What if mag-flop ‘to?” referring to the possibility that their prank might not gain traction online.
“Archive agad,” Gian responded in jest.
Maris then revealed, “Guys, ako yung bumili ng bulaklak.”
Gian admitted he was surprised when she arrived carrying the bouquet. “Nagulat nga ako pagdating niya may malaki siyang dala [na bouquet]. Nakakahiya,” he said.
As they discussed the possible outcome of their post, Maris shared her lighthearted take on it.
“Hindi nagma-matter yung results. ‘It’s all about the friendship that we made’. Ganon na lang pag nag-flop,” the two agreed. “Pag nag-flop, [edit na lang] yung caption ng ‘mare.’”
“Sisterhood at its finest,” Gian joked.
While thinking of a caption that would spark curiosity, they eventually settled on: “Plot twist, pwede pwede,” they both agreed.
READ: Maris Racal shares photo with Cup of Joe’s Gian Bernardino: ‘Plot twist’
As fans later watched the behind-the-scenes clips, many shared their reactions in the comments section, admitting they were pranked.
“GRABEE TAWANG TAWA SIGURO SILA MARIS NUNG NA BALITA SILA WAHAHAHAHAHAH NAGING CHISMOSA TULOY,” one wrote.
“the mars we failed to separate 😂😂 ang lala nung na-air sa National TV. HAHAHAHAAHHA,” another added.
“na para bang Hindi niyanig ang pilipinas sa post mo AHAHAHAHAHA,” one netizen commented.
A day after their photo trended, Maris revealed that she and Gian were not spending Valentine’s Day as a couple. Instead, their collaboration was for her newest single, “Sino Ang Tanga,” where Gian stars as her onscreen partner in the music video.
In the video, Gian and Maris shared scenes that showed their onscreen chemistry, including moments where Gian was seen holding her face and talking with her inside a car.
The music video of “Sino Ang Tanga” is now available on YouTube.