MANILA — Janella Salvador’s name has time and again come up amid the controversy involving her Star Magic Circle batch mate and known close friend, Julia Barretto.

The reason: Salvador’s pairing with Joshua Garcia via “The Killer Bride” coincidentally came in the wake of the actor’s recent breakup with Barretto, with whom he has been identified for the last three years as “JoshLia.”

Already, the fresh tandem of Salvador and Garcia has courted a growing fanbase, dubbed “JoshNella.”

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In the past month, Garcia’s relationship with Barretto became the subject of headlines, amid rumors romantically linking the latter to her “Between Maybes” co-star Gerald Anderson.

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Barretto has already addressed accusations related to Garcia and Anderson. In her August 6 statement, Barretto clarified that she and Garcia “had broken up four months ago,” and reiterated that there was no third party involved in the separation. She also denied being a factor in the separation of Anderson and Alonzo, saying “their issues are entirely their own.”

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Garcia, meanwhile, has said he is “hurt” for his former girlfriend in light of the intrigues painting Barretto as a third party in Anderson’s failed relationship.

Having spent weeks together as first-time co-stars, Salvador confirmed that she and Garcia have “talked about” the issue involving him and Barretto.

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“But as much as possible, I’d like to exclude myself from the issue. I feel like it’s just going to add more fuel to the fire,” Salvador said in an interview on “Tonight with Boy Abunda” that aired Friday.

“Pero, of course, Julia, being my friend, I reached out to her. I told her I’m there for her no matter what,” Salvador added.

In previous interviews, Salvador and Garcia have said they became friends through Barretto. When Garcia and Barretto were still together, the two would visit and bond with Salvador at her home.

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A post shared by Julia Barretto (@juliabarretto) on Jan 17, 2015 at 3:47am PST

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Salvador and Barretto, along with actress Liza Soberano, are known to belong to the same group of friends, which was formed in 2013 when they were launched as members of that year’s Star Magic Circle.

“We both help each other,” Salvador said, referring to Barretto. “Ever since, we’ve helped each other every time one has a problem, every time one’s sad. We always make each other feel like we have a friend in each other.”