Shakira talks about Piqué for the first time since separation: ‘I put my career in second place’

Shakira has broken her silence on her breakup from Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué. In an interview published last Wednesday in Elle Spain, the Colombia singer said she is currently in “one of her most difficult and darkest hours.” Since the end of her 12-year relationship with Piqué, music has become a “lifesaver,” she said, who added that it is “like going to a psychiatrist.”

The Colombian artist has also spoken about what the relationship meant for her and her career. She and Piqué have two children together, nine-year-old Milán and seven-year-old Sasha. Shakira recalls that her ex-partner – who she met shortly before the South Africa World Cup, for which her song Waka Waka was the official anthem – “wanted to play soccer and win championships.” She had to support him. “He would either end his contract with the Barcelona soccer team and move with me to the United States, where my career is, or I would have to do that. One of the two had to make that effort and sacrifice. And I did it. I put my career in second place and I came to Spain to support him, so he could play soccer and win championships. And it was an act of love,” she confessed.

The two met in the Barcelona office of the athlete’s lawyer on September 15 to reach an agreement about their separation. According to information published in media outlets, the negotiation process was unsuccessful, and Piqué left the meeting earlier than anticipated. Financial issues seem to be the primary obstacle. But both of them, according to Shakira’s interview with Elle, want the best for their two children. “Independently of how things ended or how Gerard and I feel as exes, he is the father of my children. We have work to do for these two incredible kids, and I have faith that we’ll discover what is best for their future and the right solution for everyone. And I hope and ask that we can have space to do so in private.”

The couple, who never married, announced their separation in June. Since then, both parties have attempted to reach an agreement about the custody of their children without going to court. Rumors suggest that their future plans go in very different directions. Piqué will continue playing and working in Spain, where he has begun a new relationship with Clara Chía, while Shakira is planning to reside in Miami. “There’s nowhere my children and I can hide from photographers, except my own home. We can’t go to the park like a normal family or go out for ice cream or do any normal activity without being followed,” the singer complained. “I have tried to hide the situation from them. I try to protect them, because that’s my priority in life. But later, at school, they hear things from their friends or they find unpleasant news stories online, and it just affects them,” she added in the interview.

The last few months have been difficult for the singer from Barranquilla. Her relationship problems have coincided with legal issues with the Spanish government, which has charged her with tax fraud. Shakira rejected a settlement offer to avoid being tried for defrauding the Tax Agency of €14.5 million. She decided to go to trial for tax fraud. Given that she “fully” trusts her innocence, she considers it “a matter of principle.” “Even without evidence to support these fictitious claims, they have resorted, as they often do, to a salacious press campaign to try to sway people and put pressure on the media, along with the threat of reputational damage, to force settlements. It is well known that the Spanish tax authorities often do this not only to well-known people like me – or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Neymar, [Xabi] Alonso and many more – but also to other anonymous taxpayers. But I am confident that I have enough evidence to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor,” she said.