Social media blew up after it was reported that professional basketball player Scottie Thompson got married, but not to his longtime girlfriend Pauline “Pau” Fajardo. Many netizens and PBA fans expressed their support for Pau, and consequently asked Scottie for an explanation.

Here’s what you need to know about the controversy:

Who is Scottie Thompson? 

Earl Scottie Thompson, 27, is a basketball player for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and is an alumnus of the University of Perpetual Help. He was awarded MVP of the 2014 NCAA Season 90 men’s basketball tournament and was named PBA Finals MVP during the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup. Aside from being the endorser of multiple brands, Scottie is active on YouTube, where he has more than 200 thousand subscribers.

Why are people so *shocked* about his marriage? 

Spin reported that Scottie got married to a stewardess named Jinky Serrano in June, and that they had a private wedding ceremony in Las Piñas. Spin adds that according to sources, Jinky “owns beauty clinics in Pampanga and only recently gave up her job as a flight attendant [at] the request of Thompson.” Photos allegedly from the pair’s wedding have also been circulating online.

Fans expected Scottie to get married to his longtime girlfriend Pauline “Pau” Fajardo, since the couple announced their engagement on New Year’s Day 2021. They had been together for eight years and Scottie proposed by decorating a room with rose petals and candles, and then playing a recorded video where he said: “Love, maraming maraming salamat sa sakripisyo mo, sa suporta mo sa akin. Ito yung best way na maipakita ko sayo kung gaano ka mahalaga…Love, let me be your protector, your knight in shining armor, let me the father of your kids, and let me be your husband.”

Along with their Instagram photos together, fans noticed that Scottie’s vlog about his proposal to Pau has been archived. Screenshots of a now-deleted Facebook post have been circulating on social media, where Scottie reportedly said he had broken up with Pau two months ago and that the separation was his fault.

What are Pau and Scottie’s close friends saying about the issue?  

Kayesha Chua, who is part of Scottie and Pau’s friend group, took to Instagram to speak about the issue. Kayesha said Pau reached out to her and their friends when she and Scottie started having problems, but he did not.

“We are extremely saddened by how things unfolded,” part of her post reads. “Never in a million years did we imagine this. I just wish he went to us when he needed help, she did, we were waiting, but he didn’t. I just wish he trusted us like how he said we were like a family to him but he didn’t…he had to make a choice. And he chose her. We give him our best wishes and we leave him to it. I wish you strength because you’ll need it. I hope she’s worth it.” She asked the public to respect Scottie and Pau’s privacy and added that both parties made mistakes.

You can read Kayesha’s full post below:

Pau Fajardo issues a statement: “I hope we can finally put a stop to all the gossip.”

In an Instagram post on June 24, Pau finally addressed the controversy, saying she didn’t feel the need to issue a statement before this because she never considered herself a public figure.

“I kept quiet not because I was insensitive or indifferent but because the issue is a very personal matter. And I intend to keep it that way. I will continue to resolve this privately with the help of trusted friends and family,” part of Pau’s post reads. “That said, I am deeply hurt. I ended a long-term relationship with the man I was ready to spend the rest of my life with. To say it has been heartbreaking is an understatement. But I am now making the conscious decision to move forward with my life.”

Pau went on to say that she never intended to drag other people into the matter and added that there are other important things more deserving of public attention. She expressed her appreciation for the people who defended her and stayed by her side, but requested them to “refrain from doing things that would further inflame the situation.”

You can read her full post below:

Spin reports that partners of PBA players, including Kayesha Chua, MM Belarmino, Selina Dagdag-Alas, RR Enriquez, and Cassy Naidas-Aguilar expressed their support for Pau in the comments, saying she was the definition of “the one that got away” and that they were praying for her.