Shakira is getting candid about her failed relationship with ex Gerard Piqué, and the sacrifices she made to try and keep her family together.
The celebrated Colombian songstress recently spoke with The Times UK, in a profile piece published on Saturday, in which she reflected on how she put her own career and passions on the backburner to support Piqué and his career as a professional footballer.
“For a long time I put my career on hold, to be next to Gerard, so that he could play football,” said Shakira, 47. “There was a lot of sacrifice for love.”
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer and the now-retired Spanish football star first met in 2010, on the set of the music video for her song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
The pair went on to confirm their romance in March 2021, and welcomed their first son in 2013. Shakira and Piqué — who share sons Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8 — wound up ending their relationship after 11 years in June 2020.
Joan Amengual / VIEWpress
In early 2023, she moved from Barcelona, Spain, to Miami, Florida, and has explained in the past how this move has benefitted her career by allowing her to get in touch with other artists and collaborate on new music more efficiently and quickly.
It has apparently also allowed Shakira to build a friendship with Victoria Beckham and the pair have bonded over their experiences as pop stars forming relationships with football stars — as Victoria has been married to sports legend David Beckham since 1999.
“I’ve talked to Victoria quite a few times since I arrived,” Shakira told The Times U.K. “We’re always talking about when I’m going to go watch a match and I know Milan wants to. We haven’t been able to meet up yet, but we’re on WhatsApp.”
In Shakira’s opinion, there’s a certain core difference between artists and athletes that make them often incompatible — save for the rare exceptions like the Beckhams.
“Empathy is key in an artist’s work. An athlete is in a constant state of war and has to avoid empathy at all costs,” Shakira said. “That’s why it’s probably a really bad idea for an artist to hook up with an athlete.”
Shakira spoke with Billboard back in September 2023, and explained that her career was her “third priority” while living in Europe, as she had “dedicated” her life to caring for her children and partner.
Now, residing full-time in the U.S., Shakira’s access to collaborators and professional resources is more closely within reach.
“Now I can release music at a faster clip, although sometimes I think being a single mom and the rhythm of a pop star aren’t compatible,” she told Billboard. “I have to put my kids to bed, go to the recording studio; everything is uphill. When you don’t have a husband who can stay home with the kids, it’s constant juggling because I like to be a present mom and I need to be there every moment with my children: take them to school, have breakfast with them, take them to play dates. And aside from that, I have to make money.”
However, her kids have also gotten a chance to be there for her mom during some of her biggest career moments. The boys were by their mom’s side at the VMAs last year, as she geared up to take the stage to perform some of her biggest hits while being honored with the Vanguard Award.
“They’re so loving and caring and they inspire me to be better, to be a better person just for them,” Shakira marveled of her sons in a backstage interview with ET. “They’re just the most amazing thing in my life. They’re everything to me.”
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