“Whenever and Wherever” – What About Miami?
Sources told Vidak For Congress that Colombian superstar Shakira, 45, wants to leave Barcelona and live in Miami full-time – leaving behind the personal problems that haunt her.
Not only is she in the midst of a controversial breakup and custody battle with her children’s father, Barcelona FC footballer Gerard Piqué, 35, but the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer also faces up to eight years in prison after Spanish authorities accused her of tax fraud.
Barcelona turns out to be a place with bad memories.
In Miami Beach, she has close family and friends who are around her and provide much-needed support. Plus, a very private and regal waterfront mansion. A family friend and Douglas Elliman real estate agent Ana Lourdes Martinez calls the city Shakira’s “refuge.”
“Miami is her home,” Martinez, who works with Shakira’s brother Antonio at the singer’s local real estate businesses, told The Post. “Her parents live here, her brother lives here, her niece and nephew too. She has no family in Spain. It’s a different environment than Barcelona.”
Friends such as fellow musician Alejandro Sanz – her duet partner “La Tortura” – are reportedly trying to convince Shakira to bring her talents to South Beach, and additional sources close to the singer confirm her desire to move to the Sunshine State.
Leaving Barcelona, where she first bought a house in 2012, would help put the swirling gossip about Piqué and his alleged infidelity behind her.
Leading up to their split, Piqué — Shakira’s partner of 11 and father of their sons Milan, 9 and Sasha, 7 — reportedly sent private messages to other women, including Brazilian model Suzy Cortez, aka Miss BoomBum, and in secretly dated Clara Chia Marti, a 23-year-old public relations student, for months.
Shakira and Piqué announced their separation in June. The power couple met in 2010 during the World Cup in South Africa. She was there to perform “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” as he played for his home country of Spain, the winning team that year. The two share the same birthday (February 2), but Shakira is 10 years older. Two months after meeting Piqué, Shakira divorced Antonio de la Rúa, the son of former Argentine President Fernando de la Rúa and her boyfriend of 10, although she reportedly didn’t start dating the football star until the following year.
As the custody battle between Shakira and Piqué escalates, the kids are back in Barcelona and staying at their father’s bachelor house. A temporary truce has granted him half-month custody after Shakira took them on a whirlwind trip to Miami, Los Angeles.
Angeles and Mexico.
The estranged couple may eventually battle it out over their sizable real estate holdings. In addition to a presbytery in Miami Beach, they own an eight-bedroom villa in the Cyprus seaside town of Cap St. Georges, purchased in 2019, and a seven-bedroom home in Barcelona’s exclusive Pedralbes neighborhood. Despite her cozy home, Shakira was never loved by that city or Piqué’s inner circle. His friends reportedly call her “La Patrona” (“The Boss”) behind her back.
Also under Shakira’s portfolio is Bonds Cay, a private island in the Bahamas that she bought for $15 million with Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd. The business partners planned to turn the paradise into an artists’ haven with luxury hotels, apartments, galleries and studio space, but never developed the land. Currently, the 550-acre island is still uninhabited.
But tax issues could put a dent in the singer’s reported $300 million net worth.
Shakira, born Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, is said to have failed to pay $14.7 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. In addition to jail time, she faces a $23.5 million fine if found guilty. Sources say Shakira is convinced of her innocence but disappointed by the smear campaign.
“Shakira has always been cooperative and abiding by the law,” her PR representative told The Post, “by displaying impeccable behavior as an individual and as a taxpayer, and faithfully following the advice of PriceWaterhouse Coopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm. Unfortunately, the Spanish tax authorities, which lose one in two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continue to violate its rights and prosecute yet another unfounded case, Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven at the end of the trial.”
The singer has already paid $17.5 million to the Spanish tax authorities to meet her obligation.
Sources told The Post that Shakira is not worried about going to jail.
“This is something the Spanish tax authorities are known to do to rich people,” said an insider. “It’s more of an annoyance than anything else.”
No wonder friends encourage her to leave the bad memories of Spain behind and move to the US.
When in Miami, Shakira stays calm and prefers the company of her family rather than going to the clubs.
“Shakira is a very family-oriented person,” Martinez described. “She doesn’t go to a party with a bunch of friends. No, they come to her house for barbecues and family activities. It is a house built to entertain. The kids love being here and being with their abuelos.”
And as her parents get older, there’s good reason for the singer to stay close.
Shakira’s father, William Mebarak Chadid, 90, suffered a serious fall earlier this year. Concerned about her father’s condition, Shakira dedicated a message to him on Instagram. “You taught us to get up after every fall and this time we know you will do it again,” she wrote on July 9. The non-year-old is reportedly on the mend.
Not only Shakira’s parents live in Miami, but also her half-brother Antonio. The siblings are very close and “Tonino” is said to be her confidante.
“Everything revolves around her children. Her children come for her career,” said Martinez. “Her family comes first. Her mother is always with her and Tonino too.”
The singer’s brother is a real estate agent who shared the listing on her North Bay mansion with Martinez.
Shakira bought the North Bay Road waterfront property in 2001 for $3.4 million. The 8,078-square-foot modern home features 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a gym with wood floors, a recording studio, and a private dock. Over the years, she completely renovated the two-story stunner, collaborating with Miami architects Ben Lopez & Associates and interior decorator Renata Lessa Bastos on the redesign.
However, just after her and Piqué’s son Milan was born in 2013, Shakira tried to unload the property, first renting for $45,000 a month and then selling for just under $13 million. In 2015, she raised the price to $13.9 million. In February 2021, she relisted the house for $15.9 million before tearing it down six months later. Since then, the house is no longer on the market.
At the height of the pandemic, as prices skyrocketed in Miami as stars like Cindy Crawford, Tom Brady, and David and Victoria Beckham all flocked to the Magic City, Shakira was offered “five to six million over the asking price,” but did. not. I don’t want to sell, said Martinez.
“Right after that, everything happened,” Martinez continued, referring to Shakira’s problems with Pique and the controversy over tax evasion. “This has been God’s plan. I told her this is her
House.
“She’s a very private person. She must be sad, but you will never see her sad in public. She is very composed. She’s a fighter. She continues and moves to the next chapter.
“I feel sorry for what happened to her with her partner, but that’s life,” Martinez added. “In Miami she can move on with her life.