Moms and Dads
Troy and KC Montero on Dad Life, Brotherhood, and Raising Their Children in the Philippines
On their first ever cover shoot together, Troy and KC Montero get candid about the changes in their lives as family men and choosing to raise their children in the Philippines.
Troy and KC Montero are not just famous personalities—they are brothers. Now doting fathers to their kids, conversations always revolve around their families. From picking strollers to deciding to raise their children in the Philippines, Troy and KC’s lives have changed. They have embraced fatherhood and family life with their significant others, Aubrey Miles and Stephanie Dods, by their side.
Love all around
It’s no secret that Troy and KC love goofing off with each other, especially on social media. During our shoot, we saw how genuinely close they all were—Troy, KC, Aubrey, and Steph. And what was most notable is how down-to-earth they were. No frills, no fuss, and they always went with the flow. We sat down with each couple separately to do the interview. And we got a chance to ask them about each other.
For KC, seeing his older brother become a dad first gave him ideas on how to raise his son Wyatt. “I have seen that my brother is super hands-on. And though they [Troy and Aubrey] have some help in the house, he’s always pretty much been there on the ground with his kids for as long as I can remember,” he said.
“So when I saw him parenting his three kids, I was so proud. And you know, that’s like a person you can look up to in terms of being a role model. This is probably the first time he’s been like a role model to me,” KC jokes. “As a parent, you can’t say anything about him. He’s there for all of his kids.”
Troy, on the other hand, said that while people see KC as funny and talkative, he’s totally different when he’s not on stage. “You know my brother, he’s very professional when it comes to work. He becomes larger than life when he’s working, doing his thing. But to be honest, he’s actually very quiet. He doesn’t want attention when he’s not onstage. It’s actually good because when he’s finished, he just wants to go straight home and spend time with his family. Their son is like this bright being that both of them are just so glued to, which is cool. I think he’s been ready to be a dad and he’s doing a good job so far.”
Aubrey Miles, Troy’s other half, says that one thing she has noticed with KC is that he’s more relaxed and content. “With KC now, he’s actually so chill. He’s more present and he listens more,” she says. “KC’s a family man and he totally gets it. He’s always excited to see us, have Wyatt spend time with us. We got even closer and have an even deeper relationship. Our talks are on another level. It’s still fun but the relationship has just gotten better. I admire him as a father and a husband.”
Being there for one another
Troy said that when it comes to parenting, he sees that KC and Stephanie pretty much want to figure things out by themselves. “I am just here to be like a sounding board or if they need any help they know I’m here. But I can definitely see that they want to figure it out for themselves. Sometimes, we have a chat with the two of them. And when one of them would bring something up, we would kind of give our two cents, but always letting them take the lead,” says Troy. “I can say for my side of the family, my brothers always wanted to be the ones to find their way instead of me saying, ‘Hey, you need to do this or you need to do that.’ But being the eldest, they know I’m always here to support.”
KC said that it’s been tough not being able to see his brother especially since Wyatt was born during the pandemic. But he’s grateful that Troy and Aubrey were always just a phone call away. “The only help they could have really provided while in lockdown was their guidance. We had a bunch of just random questions that you can google, sure. But you really won’t find the answer you need. Being able to ask my brother who’s been through this with Hunter and Rocket has been great,” KC quips.
Being away from her family who is in Australia, Steph really appreciated Aubrey, even more, when she finally became a mom. “Aubrey was just amazing especially when I was pregnant and when I had just given birth. She would call and ask if we needed anything. She would send over tons of stuff. Just anything she would come across that Rocket used or something she thinks Wyatt would need.”
Navigating social media
As public figures, both have different experiences when it comes to posting content about their families and remaining private. KC and Steph shared that they initially had some rules about it.
“In the beginning, we had solid lines that we said we would never cross. But yup, we’ve broken them a couple of times,” KC chuckles. “Before we even had Wyatt, we were saying we’re not going to show a lot of photos and we’re not going to be those parents.” But as we all know, everything changes the moment one becomes a parent and all bets are off.
Steph chimed in saying that while she does not mind people taking pictures with Wyatt, she has strict rules about what can and can’t be photographed.
For Troy, posting on social media is not something he carefully plans. His Instagram feed is all about his family, workouts, and hobbies. “My posts are very casual. I love that even public personalities can post about their families, their kids, and when seen in public, people are still very respectful and it’s great,” he shares. “In the US, celebrities sharing on social media can attract people waiting outside your house, waiting to get a snapshot of you in the park, etc. It’s not really like that here which is great.”
Troy and KC Montero on choosing to raise their kids in the Philippines
Having been born and raised in the US, Troy and KC have been in the Philippines for around two decades. They’ve both established themselves here, and now they proudly call it home.
“It was definitely a decision from the get-go,” Troy shares. “I told some of my friends and family in the US that I am really happy here. From the first time I came until now, I always felt that way. I always knew that I belonged here. I like the weather, I like everything about it. There’s always something to do. There’s always something moving. And while the kids can go to the US or anywhere, Aubrey and I are planting deep roots deep here [for our family].”
Aubrey said that she and Troy would go to the US with the kids every year. While she does not mind staying there long-term, they’re very happy situated here.
Steph, however, shared that when cabin fever struck during the lockdown, she thought of bringing Wyatt to Australia. But eventually decided against it. “Am I really going to take Wyatt away from his dad? He would have missed out on so many milestones. It really wasn’t an option. The idea was really great at first. But when it came down to it, we stick together.”
“I think it all boils down to the place where you could possibly give your kid the best chance. And that’s the Philippines for us because I’ve been here for 20 years and I love it,” KC declared. “Steph is just starting to get her business rolling out as well. So if we moved to the States or Australia, yeah, there are a lot of possibilities that you don’t have here. But at the end of the day, this is where we could provide for him.”
Troy and KC Montero on family and brotherhood
Although they’ve come a long way from the Fil-Am brothers who landed here in the Philippines 20 years ago, made great careers for themselves in and out of showbiz, and are now having the time of their lives as family men, Troy and KC Montero will always have a solid bond as brothers.
“I think that with KC joining the dad club, we understand each other even more,” Troy said. “When it comes to our kids, if they need us, we just get up and go. Before, he would ask, ‘Where are you going?’ But now he gets it. He understands that your kids come first. We have a different kind of respect now for each other. He loves my kids, I love Wyatt, and I am just so proud because I see that he’s really a great dad.”
KC concludes, “He will always be my brother and one of my best friends. We came here to the Philippines when we were a lot younger, we were a bit wilder. We always had a good time because we didn’t have many responsibilities. Our goal at that time was just to make it. Today, we have pretty much established ourselves and our goals have evolved over the years. We want our kids to be close and we want to build houses next to each other. I guess this is us just getting old together.”
Growing up very close to their parents, Troy and KC both have a deep admiration for their late father and strive to be the kind of man their dad was. Their mom would me mighty proud of her sons. The first thing they said once we wrapped up the shoot was how she would love the photos and that they couldn’t wait to show them to her. It’s pretty clear that Troy and KC truly understand the importance of family.
Words ALEXA VILLANO
Photography ED SIMON
Art direction JANN PASCUA and MARC YELLOW
Styling SIYA DARYANI and ROSHNI MIRPURI for CLOSET CULTURE
Makeup TAMARA PINEDA and ANGEL MANHILOT for NARS PH
Hair by JOF FANTONE for COLORBAR PH
Sittings Editor MARGA MEDRANO TUPAZ
Shot on location at SHERATON MANILA HOTEL
Special thanks to KITCHEN CITY
Want to read more about the Montero brothers? Check out these stories.
KC Montero and Stephanie Dods: On Intuitive Parenting While Raising Wyatt
Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles On Parenting Across the Lifespan
6 Times KC Montero Proved He’s Nailing The Parenting Game
