Colombian singer Shakira and Barcelona player Gerard Piqué
Photo: REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Colombian singer Shakira and Spanish player Gérard Piqué announced this Saturday, 4 May, that they are no longer together. The statement, issued this morning, came after a flurry of speculation about an alleged treason on the part of the athlete.
The statement was signed by the couple and released by the singer’s agency. “We regret to inform you that we are separating. For the sake of our children, who are our top priority, we ask that privacy be respected. Thank you for your understanding,” reads the brief text, which makes no mention of the player’s alleged infidelity.
Rumors of the couple’s crisis surfaced last Tuesday, 31st, after being published in Spanish newspaper El Periódico. The following day, journalists Laura Fa and Lorena Vázquez revealed that Piqué had been unfaithful to Shakira and was living in a different house.
The split would be the result of his betrayal and his excessive visits to clubs in Catalonia, including his teammate Riqui Puig. The couple did not speak publicly about the matter, and the first position on the separation was precisely the announcement through the agency.
Shakira and Piqué met in 2010 after the player took part in the music video for Waka Waka, the theme of that year’s World Cup. The two began dating in 2011 and have two children, Milan and Sasha, who were born in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
The couple never officially married. In a recent interview, the singer explained that the idea of marriage was terrifying and she didn’t want the relationship to fall into any kind of doldrums.
Shakira and Piqué have always been releasing passionate records on their social media. The last mention the singer made about her nowexhusband was in March, after Barcelona,the team he plays for, beat rivals Real Madrid.
“Gerard doesn’t let me say things like that in public, but it’s only with his heroism that he can play like this, overcoming any injury or pain to always do his best. It’s not because he’s my husband, but he’s the best defender in the world,” the Colombian occasionally exclaimed.
Shakira has sold millions of records and is the author of hits like “Waka Waka”, “Loba” or “Hips don’t lie”. Pique is one of the most successful defenders in the history of Spanish football, both with his club Barcelona and with the national team, having won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.