The way it was. Shakira and soccer player Gerard Piqué were together for 12 years before announcing their eventual breakup.
“[Gerard is] with me because he wants to be with Shakira the person, not the celebrity,” the “Hips Don’t Lie” performer, who was first linked to the professional athlete in 2011, previously told Latina magazine in 2014. “There’s real love, there’s no ulterior motives. And I’m with him because he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met. We want the same things, we like the same things, we hate the same things. I have never been with someone so passionate in my life.”
She added: “If it weren’t because of my music projects, I would be pregnant already [with a second child] I would love to have eight or nine kids with Gerard — my own futbol team. … When you have a baby, when you feel his love, you feel so at peace with the world. You just want to share the good news and share how happy you feel.”
The twosome, who kept their romance relatively private through the years, expanded their brood when they welcomed sons Milan and Sasha in January 2013 and January 2015, respectively.
“I think asking questions is the most ingenious way to discover the truth — if there is any truth to things. There can be many truths, like two sides of a coin. I often try to apply that to the upbringing of my kids,” the Colombia native — who never tied the knot with Piqué — told Cosmopolitan in November 2021. “I’m a tiger mom and a helicopter mom and all these different moms.”
She added at the time: “That’s when having a partner who’s completely opposite in that sense comes in handy. 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! He’s my baby daddy. I torture him about every issue I see with my kids.”
Shakira and the FC Barcelona star’s relationship made headlines in June 2022 after reports surfaced that the musician caught her then-beau having an affair. While the pair did not address the allegations, they confirmed their split several days later.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the now-exes wrote in a joint statement at the time. “For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.”
Scroll below for a complete timeline of Shakira’s relationship with Piqué through the years: