Shakira and her husband split last year. There are rumours his mother helped hide his cheating.

Shakira is a singing sensation thanks to hits such as 'Hips Don't Lie', 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' and 'Whenever, Wherever'.

With over a billion streams on Spotify and labelled "one of the greatest Latina performers of our time", there's understandably a lot of hype and interest surrounding her life - including her relationship.

Shakira and her partner, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, have been together for over 11 years. They share two sons, Milan, nine and Sasha, seven.

In June 2022, the couple announced they had spilt, releasing a joint statement that read: "We regret to confirm that we are separating. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect."

Now, nine months on, rumours continue to unravel about why the pair ended their relationship. So far, there's been a pointed new song from the singer, some snarky pushback from the former footballer and a whole lot of reports spilling the alleged details of their breakdown. 

Shakira performing at the Halftime Show at the Super Bowl. Post continues below.

At the age of 13, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll from Colombia secured her first record deal with Sony. By the age of 19, she was well-known throughout Latin America and North America. 

In 2007, 'Hips Don't Lie' was released, catapulting her to fame. 

As for Gerard, his soccer career was rising during this period, too. He joined the Manchester United academy in 2004 and by 2008 he returned to Spain to play for Barcelona FC, where he has remained ever since. He is considered to be one of the world's best defenders at present.

Then in 2010, Shakira and Gerard met. 

At the time, Shakira's song 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' was a hit globally. It became the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which was held in South Africa.

The music video was a statement in itself, showcasing Shakira and a group of dancers and kids dancing to the song together, along with cameos from various famous soccer players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But there was another player who made a cameo too - none other than Gerard Piqué.

Meeting on the set of the music video, Shakira and Gerard later confirmed their relationship in 2011.

Shakira and Gerard. Image: Getty. By 2013, the couple confirmed they had welcomed their first child, Milan.

"We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué," she wrote on her website.

At the time, Shakira said to Billboard Magazine she was "not allowed" to do sexy music videos anymore, given Gerard wasn't keen. 

"He's very territorial, and since he no longer lets me do videos with men, well, I have to do them with women," she said with a laugh. "It's more than implied in our relationship that I can't do videos like I used to. It's out of the question - which I like, by the way. I like that he protects his turf and he values me."

She later clarified this statement. "I recently said in some interviews that my man could be territorial. For the record, I was being humorous. The reality is that we have a beautiful relationship of mutual trust, and jealousy has never been an issue on either side."

In January 2015, they welcomed their second son, Sasha. 

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Despite having kids together, Shakira has always been open about not wanting to get married.

"To tell you the truth, marriage scares the s**t out of me," she told America's 60 Minutes. "I don't want him to see me as the wife. I'd rather him see me as his girlfriend. His lover, his girlfriend. It's like a little forbidden fruit, you know?"

Shakira has also said that if it weren't for her incredible career, she would have liked to have had more children, saying she would love her own "soccer team" of kids with Gerard.

"Having a partner who's completely opposite in that sense comes in handy," she said in an interview with Cosmopolitan about being a mother. "My mind never stops. I dream about my kids. I worry about them constantly. I torture my poor husband. Well, he's not really my... I don't know what to call him... My baby daddy."

Labelling parenthood "the hardest job I've ever done", she noted there is a sense of "physical, emotional, and intellectual wear and tear" about worrying for her kids and their future. But she also said that she hopes Sasha and Milan continue to see her as just "mum" rather than the fame clouding their judgement or egos. 

"The outfit my kids love the most is my PJs. I'm glad they're not going to remember their mum like the big pop star onstage covered in glitter," she said to HOLA!.

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A post shared by Shakira (@shakira)

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A post shared by Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique)

There have been cheating rumours surrounding the relationship for a few years now, but the rumours have always been followed up with statements from the couple saying it was false.

Until now, that is.

Last year, Latina media outlets reported that Gerard allegedly cheated on Shakira. Upon discovering the infidelity, she moved out of their family home.

"Shakira has caught Piqué with another. The appearance of this young woman in Piqué's life could have caused the couple to live temporarily apart, despite the fact that we do not know the nature of the relationship between them," the source said to El Periodico.

Five days after the initial reports, Shakira confirmed they had decided to separate. 

She has also just released a new song 'Te Felecito' which includes the lyrics (translated from Spanish): "For completing you, I broke into pieces. I realised that yours is false. Do not tell me you're sorry, that seems sincere, but I know you well and I know you lie."

Listen to Lowbrow, where Shannen Findlay breaks down why Shakira is a petty queen. Post continues after audio. 

Three months after their separation in September 2022, the singer admitted how "incredibly difficult" it had been for her and her two children. 

"I've tried to conceal the situation in front of my kids. I try to do it and to protect them, because that's my number one mission in life," she told ELLE. "But then they hear things in school from their friends or they come across some disagreeable, unpleasant news online, and it just affects them, you know?"

"It's really upsetting for two kids who are trying to process their parents' separation. And sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I'm going to wake up at some point. But no, it's real," she went on to say.

Shakira added: "And what's also real is the disappointment to see something as sacred and as special as I thought was the relationship I had with my kids' father and see that turned into something vulgarised and cheapened by the media. 

"And all of this while my dad has been in the ICU and I've been fighting on different fronts," the singer continued. "Like I said, this is probably the darkest hour of my life."

Over a month after the pair reportedly reached a custody settlement, where Shakira and her two sons would permanently relocate to Miami after living in Barcelona for eight years, the singer released a new single. 

Alongside Argentine producer and hitmaker Bizarrap, they created 'BZRP Music Session #53'. In the single, she allegedly referred to Clara Chia Marti when she sings: "I'm worth two 22-year-olds / You traded in a Ferrari for a Twingo / You traded in a Rolex for a Casio." 

After the song was released, Piqué responded by sharing a photo with his rumoured new girlfriend, Clara Chia Martí. 

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A post shared by Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique)

The post was the first time he has posted Martí on his page, and it is believed by many as confirmation that they are indeed together.

He also responded again by driving in a Renault Twingo car as he reportedly arrived for work in Barcelona.

GERARD PIQUÉ llega con un TWINGO y se la pela 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rAkof0RBsh

— Mateu Padremany Font (@MPadremanyFont) January 15, 2023

But arguably the most viral line in Shakira's new single has to do with her former mother-in-law, Montserrat Bernabéu. In the song she sings, "You left me with my mother-in-law as a neighbour, with the press at my door and a debt to the taxman." 

Following the verse, reports have emerged over the weekend accusing the retired doctor of covering up her son's alleged affair.

"It’s all because when the relationship between Piqué and Martí began, they took refuge in a house that Piqué‘s parents have in Cabrils, Spain, Spanish journalist Laura Fa claimed, as per Hola.

Shakira admitted on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that the diss track became a healthy way for her to channel her emotions. 

"The thing with this song is, it has become an anthem for so many women out there. I've had a very rough year after my separation, and writing this song has been so important to me," she said. "It's been a healthy way to channel my emotions."

The singer added, "After we put out this song, I really felt like I don't even have fans out there," she told Fallon. "I have a sisterhood of women who have been through the same things that I have been through, who think the way I think, who feel the way I feel, who had to put up with so much crap the way I had to."

"And you know, I did write the song for me," she continued. "But also, I feel that it was meant to be — and probably for so many women out there that needed a forum, too, and a voice to represent them in so many ways."

When Piqué was asked by Spanish radio station, El món a Rac1, if he had listened to the song, he responded in Spanish: "Obviously, I've heard the song."

He continued: "But I don't want to talk about it because it's neither here nor there."

The former footballer then began speaking about his children saying, "People have a responsibility, especially those with children, to protect our kids." 

He continued. "I don't want to say anything more about it, because everyone makes good and bad decisions, and I don't want to talk about the topic anymore. I think in the end what matters most is for my kids to be okay."

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Piqué also addressed the cheating allegations, telling the radio station he had "always done what I wanted."

"It is not like that. The problem is how people perceive it or how the press sells it," he explained. "I keep doing what I want,” he also said. “The day I die, I will look back and hope I have always done what I wanted. I want to be true to myself. I'm not going to spend money cleaning up my image."

"The people I care about and the ones I love are the ones who know me. The rest I don't care," the former footballer added.

"I spend my energy on being with my loved ones and giving them what I have. I'm very happy. There have been changes in my life, and I have known how to preserve happiness."

This article was published on June 5, 2022 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram @3gerardpique.

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