Shakira described her breakup with Gerard Pique as “incredibly difficult” in her first comments since the 11-year-old couple split.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, 45, explained in her October 2022 Elle digital cover story, published Wednesday, that she has deliberately “stayed quiet” since her split from the footballer, 35, in early June for the first made headlines.
“It’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our divorce is not like a regular divorce,” she said.
“And so it was hard not only for me, but also for my children. Incredibly difficult,” Shakira added, referring to her and Piqué’s sons Milan (9) and Sasha (7).
The “Waka Waka” artist claimed that paparazzi were “camping” outside her house 24/7 since the news broke, so she has tried to “protect” her children.
Shakira blamed her divorce from Piqué on their ambitious careers and told the magazine that after Milan and Sasha went to school, the family had to decide whether to move to the US for her music career or stay in Barcelona, where the athlete plays. .
“One of the two had to make that effort and that sacrifice. And I did it. I put my career in second gear and came to Spain to support him so he could play [soccer] and win titles. And it was a sacrifice of love,” she said.
The Grammy winner confessed that she felt she had to “support” Piqué’s dreams over her own.
“When Milan started school at the end of 2014, I knew that my constant travel and nomadic existence had to be put on the back burner and my career had to be put in second gear,” she said.
“I knew that when he went to school I had to settle in, plant roots in Barcelona and be there for him and for Gerard and later for Sasha too.”
Shakira said the decision benefited her children as they were able to have a “current mother” and created an “unbreakable” bond, but it ultimately tore up her long-term relationship.
The “Whenever, Wherever” singer declined to share other factors behind the breakup, telling Elle it was too “raw and new.”
“No matter how things have ended or how Gerard and I feel about each other as ex-partners, he is the father of my children,” she noted.
“We have a job to do for these two incredible guys, and I’m confident we’ll figure out what’s best for their future, their own dreams in life, and what’s a fair solution for everyone involved,” she concluded. .
The former couple announced their split in a joint statement released in June. They started dating in 2010 after meeting on the set of Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” music video.