Everything changed when Ellen Adarna decided to leave showbiz, but the life she has now has surprised many more — what made her choose this path?
Ellen Miriam Goadarna was born in April 1988 in Cebu.
[music] She is known in the entertainment industry as an actress, model and one of the most popular television and social media personalities in the Philippines.
Even before she entered the world of acting, her name was already attached to a well-known and wealthy family in the Visayas.
The Darna family owns large businesses in real estate, condominiums, resorts and the famous Queensland.
A large motel chain with [music] branches in Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Metro Manila.
In addition, their family also owns the famous Temple of Leya in Busay, Cebu City which was built by his grandfather in honor of his late grandmother Leya Albaino Adarna.
When she was only in the fourth grade, her father began training her to work in their hotels as a housekeeper and secretary during vacations to earn some money.
For her formal education, she attended St.
Teresa’s College of Cebu.
A private Catholic school for girls from elementary to secondary.
He took a business administration course at the same school but decided to quit [music] during his second year of college to pursue a different path.
At the age of , he decided to leave Cebu and move to Manila to be free to abandon the fate of managing the family business.
Ellen Adarna’s entry into the modeling field began when she won the Candy Tetin Model Search in 2005 and was featured again in 2006.
Her win led to her being featured on the covers of Candy magazine.
Because of her inherent beauty and strength of character.
He quickly became an internet celebrity by sharing his photos on old social media platforms like Friendster.
In 2010, he formally entered the world of showbiz when he became part of the GMA Artist Center under GMA Network.
He became a regular member of the popular gag show Bubble Gang.
In 2013, she moved to ABS-CBN’s Star Magic where her career further blossomed as a serious actress and a well-known Gravure model.
She was featured on the covers of popular magazines such as [music] FHM Philippines, Square, Uno, Preview and Women’s Health.
On television, her roles in teleseryes such as Moon of Desire in 2014, Passion the Amour in 2015 and The Greatest Laap in 2016 stood out.
Throughout her time in the public eye, Elena Dary has been associated with viral topics due to her outspokenness and fearless expression of opinions.
One of the first major controversies she was involved in occurred in May 2018.
He filmed a seven-year-old minor, Elila Santos, at a ramen restaurant in Makati.
He accused the teenager on his Instagram stories [music] of a priest secretly filming her.
The minor’s camp and her mother, Myra Santos, responded by explaining that the video only showed the interior of the restaurant and the food.
The issue has been fueled by threats of legal action and cyber libel against Adarna after she refused to publicly apologize.
Her personal love life has also been a topic of major news in the country in 2017, with her relationship with award-winning actor John Lloyd Cruz becoming a hot topic.
Their relationship led to the two temporarily leaving the world of showbiz to live a private life.
On June 27, 2018, Ellen Adarna gave birth to their son, Elias Modesto Cruz.
However, their relationship ended in August 2019 before the child was even one year old.
Despite the separation, [music] the two agreed on a harmonious co-parenting setup for the sake of their child.
After her relationship with John Lloyd Cruz, Ellen Adarna was once again in the news when her romance with actor Derek Ramsey quickly blossomed in early 2021.
They got married in November 2021 in a lavish ceremony in Baghak, Bataan.
In October 2024, they were blessed with a daughter named Liana Del Lily Ramsey.
However, their marriage ended in a controversial divorce in November 2025.
[music] Adarna went viral nationwide after she posted screenshots and audio recordings on her Instagram account showing Ramsey’s alleged infidelity.
Just days after their relationship became official in 2021, Adarna said she had experienced intense gaslighting for years because she was made to look jealous and crazy.
But the emergence of evidence from a whistleblower gave her peace of mind and justice.
Also in November 2025, Ellen Adarna made a splash on social media when she openly criticized her own friends and acquaintances in Cebu who were linked to corrupt politicians and contractors.
Following the devastation of Typhoon Tino that claimed the lives of many babies in the country, she posted a bold question on why many people still turn a blind eye to corruption just because a friend or relative was involved.
As of 2026, Ellen Adarna remains active in sharing her real life through her social media platforms, particularly Instagram.
The latest big news about her this February 2026 is her breaking her silence against the statements of talk show host Chris Fermine.
Adarna criticized Fermin for being fair and just after calling Dirk Ramsey a good provider.
Adarna revealed that despite her request for child support for their daughter Lili, Ramsey only sent her a credit card with a limit of PH,000 or Php50,000, which is only half of the child’s actual needs.
Ellen Adarna also explained the difference in the situation of her two children regarding child support.
She said that she was asking for less.
She said that she had asked for less support from John Lloyd Cruz for Elias because they were living in Cebu where all the expenses for the house, electricity, driver and yay were covered by her family company.
He only asked Cruz for Php10,000 for groceries but the actor willingly doubled it to ensure the child’s welfare.
He praised John Lloyd Cruz as a very loyal and responsible father who was even able to charter a private plane during the pandemic just to be with his son, which is the opposite of Ramse’s lack of initiative.
Despite legal issues with his current wife [music], Adar has maintained a good relationship with Cruz and in fact they are together.
attended Alias’ piano recital last June 13, 2026 Ellen Adarna’s appearance on the popular digital show oneonone one hosted by host Melay Cantiveros Francisco became a national sensation.
Here, Adarna shared a surprising and never-before-heard detail about the famous Temple of Leya in Busay Cebu.
According to Elena Darna, the majestic structure dubbed the Taj Mahal of Cebu was not originally built to be a tourist attraction.
She revealed that her grandmother, Lea Albino Atar, was a great hoarder, or someone who loved to collect and store a lot of personal belongings, furniture [music] and antiques in their former homes.
Because of the abundance of these items and the strict instructions of their grandmother not to throw them away when she passed away.
Their grandfather decided to build a large temple as an imbacano storage space.
It just so happened that because of its beautiful architecture and its location on the mountain, people flocked to it until it eventually became an official tourism landmark in Cebu.
In the same vein this June 2026.
A very good news emerged this early June 2026 regarding Ellen Adarna’s relationship with her former partner John Lloyd Cruz.
Unlike the usual showbiz breakups that are full of strife, Adarna and Cruz showed a very developed and stable way of raising their son Elias Modesto.
The whole family went to Boracay to celebrate the child’s upcoming birthday.
What became the center of attention among netizens was the beautiful relationship between Ellen Adarna and John Lloyd Cruz’s current girlfriend Isabel Santos.
Ellenatar posted photos and videos on her Instagram stories where they can be seen paddling in the sea together, playing with the children and having a fun boat party.
Ad openly called Isabel Santos the best step mom for Elias and expressed his deep gratitude and love for her.
This kind of smooth communication and acceptance was praised by the public as a good example of a modern family where the welfare and happiness of the child always comes first.
far from any [music] jealousy or bitterness from the past.
Aside from family issues, there have also been news about Ellen Adar’s professional life this year.
[music] In April 2026, GMA Network senior vice president Anette Gozon Valdez posted a photo with Elena Tarna, John Lloyd Cruz and Sparkle Senior Talent Manager Tracy Garcia.
This meeting has caused great excitement among fans, who are reportedly talking about a new project that could possibly bring the former lovers together in television and film.
Although the network’s management has not yet released any official details, this move proves that even though Atarna is temporarily focused on motherhood, her door remains open for quality artistic work that will not compromise her priority of family.
