Mireia Varela’s open letter broke the silence on her split from Gabriel Rufián after more than a decade together. Their private breakup became a public reckoning with loss and regret, alongside the hard work of starting over.
In early 2020, Mireia Varela posted a raw letter on Instagram about her breakup with Gabriel Rufián, an ERC deputy and the father of her son. She described the pain of losing him and a relationship that had, until then, remained private. Her words brought their separation into public view.
Varela wrote, “Despedí 2018 llorando sabiendo que perdía el amor de mi vida.” She described sleepless nights and constant sadness, along with the feeling that she had lost a part of herself. She spoke of isolation and endless fights, and described her struggle to find work. Her letter painted a picture of a woman facing the collapse of her dream family. Many saw themselves in her story. Some wounds do not heal with time.
Their story started quietly. Before Rufián became known in Madrid, he spotted Varela on the Metro and handed her a slip of paper with his number. They built a life together in Catalonia, away from cameras. Their son Biel was born in 2010. For years, they kept their family out of the spotlight, even as Rufián’s political career took off.
By the end of 2018, things had fallen apart, though the breakup stayed private at first. Varela’s letter changed that. She called 2019 a year of mourning. She could not win back the man she called her soulmate and best friend, whom she had chosen to father her child. She spoke openly about therapy and medication, as well as her regret. Her honesty struck a nerve, turning a private struggle into a shared one.
Rufián did not answer her letter publicly. He focused on co-parenting Biel and keeping life steady for his son. On Salvados, he said he still owns half the home where Biel lives with his mother. He made clear that he shares responsibility, even after the marriage ended. Rufián has since remarried. In 2022, he married Marta Pagola, who works in communications at PNV. They now have a son named Leo.
Varela’s world now centers on Biel, music, and dance. She loves Sevillanas and flamenco. Her social media still hints at questions that linger. In a recent post, she wrote about regret and how hard it is to accept the results of our choices. Moving on is not easy.
Stories like this are not rare in Spain. Public and private lives often collide. In a reported case about a Catalan teacher, the line between personal life and public attention proved lasting. For Varela and Rufián, the fallout has been handled quietly, though the pain is clear.
Varela’s honesty prompted people to talk about loss and regret. Rufián’s silence and focus on his son reflect another kind of strength. Their struggles, the account suggests, largely unfolded away from the cameras.
