Tessa Prieto, a socialite, has gone public for the first time about her divorce from millionaire Dennis Valdes, her spouse of 26 years.

In an interview with the entertainment website Pep, Prieto characterized the process of moving ahead as “extremely traumatic.”

She stated that she “felt the betrayal,” but did not elaborate on the basis for their breakup.

“But in the end, after a year and a half, I decided, ay, it’s time that it wasn’t mine to fix but mine to let go,” she stated.

Prieto and Valdes split up a year after their silver anniversary on June 24, 2019, according to the Pep report.

And, despite her “extremely painful and terrible” experience, the socialite stated she had no regrets because she enjoyed a “beautiful” marriage for 26 years.

She stated that she has no intention of publicly criticizing her husband and that they are still on good terms as they co-parent their four children.

“I think, you know, things happen, and I’m one not to bash my husband. He’s still the father of my kids. I love him so. But, you know, we have moved on,” she says.

“Mine is like… I don’t want to share it with all the negativity. Because I’m not coming from a broken, awful marriage. I’m just coming from… may nangyari lang… alam mo ‘yun?” she continued.

When asked if she and Valdes had already filed for divorce, Prieto replied: “It’s very long and very painful. So, I will see. Pause muna on that side. I’ll take care of my heart first. Let it flow lang muna.”

“If ever, siguro it’s called separation of properties. So, that’s what we are doing,”

“But not ‘yung annulment. No annulment, but separation of properties, wherein what’s his is his, what’s mine is mine. Whatever, we eventually give it to the kids. I need to protect my kids.”