Martin Nievera opened up about his relationship with his non-showbiz girlfriend, Anj del Rosario, explaining why they initially kept their romance away from the public eye.

In an interview with Bernadette Sembrano in her latest YouTube vlog, Martin shared that he wanted to shield Anj and her family from the complexities of life in the limelight.

"My current love life with Anj, we wanted to keep it a secret only because I didn't want her family, which was from planet Earth, to be involved with my outer space life," he quipped, referring to the often complex world of showbiz.

READ: Martin Nievera 'hard launches’ relationship with partner Anj Del Rosario on ASAP stage

However, Martin admitted that maintaining privacy was easier said than done in the age of social media. "I tried very hard to keep her out of the limelight, but you know it's impossible especially nowadays with the social media," he said.

He also revealed that Anj has unfortunately been on the receiving end of online bashing from fans who root for his tandem with ex-wife, Pops Fernandez.

"Also because of social media, she gets bashed a lot because people still want Pops and Martin, and you cannot avoid that," he explained. "And she has to really learn and she has been quite a trooper, I have to say, because Pops and I decided to continue the love team."

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Martin Nievera on ASAP performance with partner Anj Del Rosario: ‘It wasn’t what you called a hard launch’

Martin confessed that continuing his onstage partnership with Pops was a conscious decision. "We could've stopped it. We could've just said: 'Forget it. Let's just go our separate ways even professionally.' But the truth Pops and I love it. I enjoy it and Anj knows that. I enjoy that part of my career," he said.  

READ: Martin Nievera on his enduring onstage partnership with Pops Fernandez: 'God put us together for a reason'

Still, Martin was honest about the downside of that decision, particularly when it comes to Anj being targeted by bashers.

"I don't enjoy Anj getting bash during the process. I wish that people would mature up. There are a couple of mature people there," he stated. 

Back in February, Martin introduced Anj on national television during an episode of ASAP.