Kasper van Kooten Confirms Split: 'Het Is Over' After Summer Romance

Het is over. After a summer that seemed to promise a fresh start in love, Dutch actor Kasper van Kooten (54) has confirmed that his relationship with Heleen Feenstra has come to an end — and his words about the split are as raw as they are brief.

In an open interview with the showbiz magazine Privé, part of De Telegraaf, Van Kooten — best known to Dutch audiences for his role in the hit television series Gooische Vrouwen — revealed that the romance that blossomed over the summer has not survived the autumn.

"Het is over, dat is heel verdrietig"

The 54-year-old actor confirmed the breakup with words that leave little room for interpretation: "Het is over, dat is heel verdrietig" — "It's over, that's very sad."

Van Kooten made clear he doesn't want to say much more about the split for now. The one exception he's willing to make is poetry. "De gedichtjes zijn het enige dat ik erover kwijt wil op dit moment. Het leven gaat door," he said — "The little poems are the only thing I want to share about it right now. Life goes on."

A summer romance that looked like the real thing

When Van Kooten's relationship with Heleen Feenstra became public over the summer, many observers saw it as a perfect match. The actor appeared to have found happiness in love again, and the couple's early months together carried the glow of a relationship that might last.

That glow, it turns out, was not built to last. The reasons behind the split remain private — Van Kooten has declined to elaborate beyond his poetry.

Who Kasper van Kooten is

For those less familiar: Kasper van Kooten has been a fixture of Dutch entertainment for decades. He broke through to a wide audience as one of the stars of Gooische Vrouwen, the blockbuster RTL series that became a cultural phenomenon in the Netherlands — and later returned for the film adaptations that drew millions of viewers.

Beyond acting, Van Kooten built a parallel career in music and cabaret. He's released albums, toured theaters, and developed a reputation as a performer who wears his heart on his sleeve — something his poetry about this breakup only confirms. His openness has always been part of his appeal: fans feel they know the real Kasper, not just the characters he plays.

That honesty is also what makes this week's news land the way it does. When a celebrity who has shared so much of himself says a relationship is over and calls it "heel verdrietig," it doesn't read like a press statement. It reads like a person talking.

The poem: "Kraslot"

Last week, Van Kooten shared a poem on his Instagram account titled "Kraslot" — Dutch for "scratch card" — in which he reflects on the impermanence of love and the price that happiness sometimes demands.

In it, he asks what winning "in the love lottery" means if the prize still has to be paid for afterward: "Wat betekent dat we wonnen in de liefdesloterij als we nu alsnog de prijs moeten betalen?" It's a painful image — love as a gamble where the winnings turn out to be borrowed.

For fans who have followed Van Kooten's career from Gooische Vrouwen through his music and theater work, the poem reads as a window into a man processing heartbreak the way he knows best: through art.

What's next for Kasper

Professionally, Van Kooten remains one of the Netherlands' most versatile performers, moving between acting, music, and cabaret. Personally, he's asked for space — the poems, he says, are all he's willing to share for now.

Fans on social media have responded with warmth, many quoting lines from "Kraslot" back at him. If there's a silver lining to a painful public breakup, it's this: an artist turning heartbreak into work that other heartbroken people can hold onto.

As he put it himself: het leven gaat door. Life goes on.

Related reading

• Maarten Spanjer: De Telegraaf to Publish Unpublished Columns — the late actor's final writings
• Rob Jetten Baby News — the Dutch PM's joyful announcement
• B&B Vol Liefde's Peter Finds New Love — another Dutch romance story

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kasper van Kooten?
Kasper van Kooten (54) is a Dutch actor, musician, and cabaret performer, best known for his role in the popular television series Gooische Vrouwen.

Who was he in a relationship with?
Heleen Feenstra, with whom he found love over the summer of 2026. The relationship has now ended, which Van Kooten confirmed in an interview with Privé.

What did he say about the breakup?
"Het is over, dat is heel verdrietig" (It's over, that's very sad). He added that his poems are the only thing he wants to share about it right now: "De gedichtjes zijn het enige dat ik erover kwijt wil op dit moment. Het leven gaat door."

About the author: Sidra Salman is a blogger and content creator covering Dutch celebrity news, television, and entertainment.