Antonio Sabàto Jr.’s nearly decade-long relationship with Katia Fernandez has ended. The “General Hospital” alum and his longtime partner have ended their engagement after more than nine years together, TMZ reported.
Their split comes out of nowhere, as Sabàto has regularly shared loving tributes to Fernandez on social media over the years.
Neither Sabàto nor Fernandez has publicly commented on the split beyond what TMZ has reported.
No Major Blowup Behind Their Split
A source close to the couple reports that the couple were engaged, though never announced it publicly. According to TMZ, Fernandez ended their engagement earlier this week. No specific incident or major rift between the couple caused the split, and now they are giving each other space.
The couple began dating beginning around 2016. Sabàto has regularly referred to Fernandez as his soulmate. Both want the best for each other, according to sources. Details surrounding when they were engaged are not available.
Sabàto, 54, may find himself with a new gig, however. TMZ reported that the actor has been flooded with messages saying that he should appear on “The Bachelor” as the next lead.
Sabàto’s Career and Public Life
Sabàto first became a household name in the early 1990s, playing Jager Cates on “General Hospital” from 1992 to 1995. He reprised his role on the sequel “General Hospital: Night Shift.” He appeared on several other television shows, such as the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” from 2005 to 2006 in a role created specifically for him and his very own reality dating show “My Antonio” in 2009. More recently, he has appeared on “Iron Chef America” in 2010 as a judge and “Dancing With The Stars” as a contestant in 2014 on Season 19.
He was paired with professional dancer Cheryl Burke on “Dancing With The Stars,” and they finished in eighth place overall on their season of the show.
His modeling career, which began his career in the public eye, also included a notable run as a Calvin Klein underwear model. He received his big break into the industry when he appeared in Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” music video alongside actor Djimon Hounsou, who was also a former Calvin Klein model. Since then, Sabàto has continued his career through reality television and most recently, a run on “Hilton Head Island” from 2017 to 2018 as Jude Trisk. He also ran for Congress in California some years ago in 2018 unsuccessfully.
This is not Sabàto’s first public split. He was previously married to Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes from 2012 to 2018. He was also married to Tully Jensen from 1992 to 1993. Sabàto has three children: a son with actress Virginia Madsen of “Fraiser” fame, a daughter with Kristin Rossetti Biasi, and a son with Nunes of which they share joint custody.
