From being fans of each other to being lovers, Drag Race Philippines Season 1’s Prince and Legendary Season 3’s Nunoy Revlon from the House of Revlon reveal facts about their relationship.
Followers of both reality TV stars were abuzz every time Prince and Nunoy appeared on each other’s social media during the period when Drag Race Philippines was airing. When they would go live on Instagram, it was undeniable that a romance was brewing.
LGBTQIA+ couples who parade their relationships online and in the real world help us move forward as a community. If anything, it’s more daring than proud. In this world we’re living in, this is important and necessary so young LGBTQIA+ folks and those outside our community see that we’re real.
Ready your sailor suits because we’re shipping!
How they met
“I am a big fan of the show he’s in, and so is he for RuPaul’s Drag Race. We knew each other from social media,” says Prince. “I remember following him during the airing of his season and double-tapping every pic because I think he is really pogi!” That bit of digital flirting led to meeting each other when Nunoy flew to the Philippines for the first time. “On his second day in Manila, we decided to meet for a drink,” narrates Prince. “After a week, while driving back to his hotel, he became so serious and started asking if he could take me out on a proper date.”
What they like about each other
“The equal respect that we have for each other’s lifestyle and art,” says Nunoy. Finding that sweet spot in a relationship is crucial. It is where both individuals understand and support each other while feeling safe and secure. “We both are quite opposites in our lifestyles, but what I love is that Prince really respects my values, and so do I,” elaborates Nunoy. It is also where partners learn from each other and enjoy one another; an immediate confident foundation is laid. Prince says, “I love making him laugh with my humor, and he always makes me smile with all his pakilig moments. People tend to think of him as a different person because of his sexy siren identity, but he really is a gentleman, and he’s very romantic.”
Special memories
“One of my favorite memories until this day is when we were driving on the skyway in the late evening, and at one point, I told him that I really was serious about us two,” reveals Nunoy. “Another favorite memory was our Kylie Minogue performance, where we combined both our arts together. It truly was a magic moment, and I can confidently say that that day I knew he was the one.”
New love is as exciting as it gets, and giddiness is at its peak—everything becomes extra thrilling and adorable. “Hindi pa kami matagal sa relationship, but we already did a lot. But so far, I loved when I took him to La Union recently. Loved every bit of it,” reminisces Prince. When two people in love bathe in the colors of a sunset as the ocean touches both their feet, the rest of the world stops existing, and nothing else matters. Prince realizes, “That moment, in my head, I was saying, ‘mahal na mahal ko ‘tong taong ‘to!’”
The role of art in their relationship
Artists are deeply in touch with creativity, emotions, and passions. This love story between a drag queen and a professional dancer and choreographer sounds perfect any way you look at it. “It influences our relationship in a way that we are able to help each other, but also give each other space whenever one of us wants to have our own time,” says Nunoy. “I think our love also sparked mainly because we have the same interest and our art form is not far from each other,” adds Prince.
How they support each other personally and professionally
“Honestly, I think the best support is honesty, respect, and the intention behind your actions,” says Nunoy. “One thing about me is that I always want to make sure that Prince is comfortable not just when he is in drag, but also out of drag. We make sure that life isn’t that serious, and we appreciate each other. Professionally, I make sure that whenever he asks for help or assistance in the performance or choreography, I always focus on him being comfortable, but also feeling challenged within his potential.”
A partner creates a space where the other feels motivated and safe to be their 100 percent. “Aside from my family and close friends, I didn’t have any other cheerleader,” confesses Prince. “He goes to my shows and helps me prepare, sometimes even choreographs my numbers, too. I’ve been introducing him to people I know that could help give him opportunities for his passion for dance.” Nunoy is new to the scene in the Philippines, and having a partner like Prince help him maneuver life here is an incredible gift. They did their first ball together (The OTA Ball), which was a great success.
Challenges
Prince took it hard for someone who had to experience a long-distance relationship for the first time. “When he’s about to leave to go back to Paris, I remember crying real hard for an hour while driving after dropping him off at the airport,” he remembers. “But he loves to call randomly just to see if I’m doing okay; always sending me good morning and good night messages and making sure he tells me about his day.”
Nunoy was adopted from the Philippines and grew up as the only POC in a small village in the Netherlands. He was forced to run away from home at such a young age not only because of racism; his adoptive parents were Catholic extremists who made him go through conversion therapy. “One thing that I really had to get used to was him (Prince) being so close with his blood family and the support he gets from them,” says Nunoy. “Seeing them being so supportive really threw me off, but it also was eye-opening to me. Seeing that he is always unapologetically himself and embracing both his masculine and feminine side everywhere he goes really does inspire me.”
Moving in together
The two lovebirds recently jumped into a significant relationship milestone. “It was so random. Nunoy was supposed to go back to Europe on January 30, but then he was always vocal about Europe not feeling at home anymore since he visited the Philippines the first time,” Prince says. Nunoy shares what makes it so fun living together: honesty and respecting each other’s boundaries.
