For the past 20 years, the relationship between William Levy and Elizabeth Gutierrez has read like a mix of a telenovela love story and a toxic series of tabloid titles.

The stories about their initial encounter in Telemundo’s reality, ‘Protagonistas de novela’, the birth of Tophy, their first child, and how they were living together happily ever after, were accented by rumors of the Cuban actor’s roving eye and repeated infidelities with his co-stars once he moved to Mexico and started to do telenovelas on Televisa.

Courtesy Elizabeth Gutiérrez/Instagram Stories

His romances with RBD’s Maite Perroni (worked together in ‘Cuidado con el ángel’) and Jacqueline Bracamontes (‘Sortilegio’) were confirmed by both actresses. Bracamontes wrote in her book how she thought their relationship was serious until he told her that Gutiérrez was pregnant with their second child, Kailey, who is now 14 years old. Then came rumors of other affairs with co-stars like Mexican Miss Universe Ximena Navarrete, his leading lady in ‘La Tempestad,’ among others.

Their cycle was almost predictable: rumors of a Levy romance with a co-star, denial, breakup, statement about the separation, reconciliation. However, by October of 2023 it was obvious that something had changed.

Elizabeth Gutierrez confirms the separation

Amidst renewed rumors of a relationship between William Levy and his latest co-star on ‘Vuelve a mí’, Mexican actress Zamadhi Zendejas (they had died down after a frenzy during the days previous to the premiere of the telenovela) Elizabeth Gutiérrez took to social media. In a heartfelt statement, she acknowledged the challenges they faced during their nearly 20-year-long relationship. Gutiérrez emphasized her gratitude towards Levy for his support, particularly in enabling her to be present for their children.

Then she gave an interview to Hola USA! in which she said:

“I always bet on my relationship. I loved William, I think it’s no secret that he was the love of my life. As I always bet and wanted to show us as we were. I wanted… because we lived many of those moments during the 20 years we were together.

Currently, we are not together. On my part, it was never for lack of love; I think I’m not the same girl I was 20 years ago when he met me. What we want at this moment is different. I will always love him, I will always wish him the best, and as I have always said, being with me or not, I want to see him happy. That’s what I fell in love with, his smile… I always want to see him smiling. I don’t know; there are things that, if they don’t change, you have to change. And that was the option I had to take.”

Last efforts

The last months of William Levy and Elizabeth Gutiérrez’s relationship were marked by a hopeful, yet ultimately futile attempt to revive their love. During a family trip to Spain in november, they each took an uncommon step, sharing declarations of love on social media.

It was a rare act for the typically private couple, initially seemed to signal a positive turn in their relationship. However, this public display of affection was, in retrospect, perhaps a final effort to reignite the passion they once shared. Despite their attempts, it became clear that this was the beginning of the end for their long-standing relationship, as underlying issues could not be overcome.

Enter the police

The bitterness of what it seems to be a final breakup spilled out in unexpected ways. People en Español obtained police reports that reveal series of domestic disputes since October 2023, shedding light on the tumultuous nature of their split.

The first police report, dating back to October 28th last year, details an incident where Gutiérrez expressed concern about Levy’s drinking habits, which allegedly led to verbal altercations. Levy denied having a drinking problem, and both agreed that the dispute was solely verbal.

A more alarming incident occurred on January 29th, as reported by the police. Gutiérrez, found crying by the officers, recounted a heated argument with Levy, who suspected infidelity and returned home inhebriated, conducting a frantic search for a supposed intruder. Levy, while acknowledging his actions, denied any drug use and insisted he was protecting his family.

Already separated (Gutiérrez moved out of the family home,) Levy contacted police on March 1, concerned about the whereabouts of his daughter following disagreements with Gutiérrez. The police report details Levy’s distress over not knowing his daughter’s location, a situation that highlights the ongoing tension in their household.

The most recent incident, a few days after, involved Gutiérrez calling the police on Levy after he allegedly pushed their daughter Kailey to prevent her entering the principal bedroom of his home (previously family home.) According to the actress, he was hiding a woman there, although they were already separated. While Levy denied any physical altercation, the situation underscores the strained environment between them and how it is affecting their children.

William Levy reacts

The Cuban actor, producer and entrepreneur has been mostly stoic when is life is on the tabloids, limiting himself to post cryptic comments and photos online. This time, though seems to be different, since it is Gutierrez herself feeding the gossip mill.

His reaction to the interview is interesting and leaves little doubt about where he is. His photo with his chin up in a defiant pose, and the Foreigner song ‘Waiting For a Girl Like You’ in the background says it all.