Shakira is sick of paparazzi following her whenever and wherever she goes.
The Colombian-born popstar, 46, is in the midst of an ugly split from her ex Gerard Piqué and had a message for photographers who snap her every move.
She took to Twitter to complain that her young sons Milan, 10, and eight-year-old Sasha are struggling with the constant spotlight on their family.
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“In this period of change in my life as a public figure, it’s understandable that there is a permanent curiosity on behalf of the press around me and my family,” Shakira wrote on Twitter, addressing it to “respected friends, journalists and media outlets”.
“However, my children, Milan and Sasha, have endured a very difficult year, suffering incessant harassment and persecution without relief by the paparazzi and several media outlets in Barcelona.”
Shakira, who recently moved her young sons from Barcelona to Miami, said she hoped for privacy as she adjusts to her new life in the US.
The Hips Don’t Lie singer asked, for her boys’ sake, that she be left alone to pick up the pieces after her split from the father of her children.
“Now that they are beginning a new life,” her message continued, “I implore the media on behalf of my children to please respect their right to privacy.”
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“I beg you to abstain from following them to the entrance and exit of their school, wait for them at the door of our home, or follow them to their extracurricular and recreational activities as the media did in Barcelona with the intent of capturing photos or boosting ratings.”
Shakira finished her message by saying her sons deserve to live a normal life and go to school without the flashing bulbs of cameras in their face.
She asked for empathy as a mother, not as a famous singer, from the media who follow her around.
“I trust that the journalists and photographers here will be sensitive to the situation that Milan and Sasha are facing and can behave in the most humane way possible with them,” she added.
“I extend this petition not as an artist, but as a mother who wishes to protect and care for the psychological and emotional well-being of my children so they may live a happy and healthy life, as all children deserve to do.”
https://twitter.com/shakira/status/1645466201131237377
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Shakira’s message comes almost a year after she broke up with footballer Piqué in June 2022.
The pair had been together for 11 years before they announced their split on social media.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for privacy. Thank you for your understanding,” the former couple said in a statement.
Several months after her breakup went public, Shakira spoke about the toll of being tailed by paparazzi.
In an interview with Elle magazine, the singer opened up about the “incredibly difficult” aftermath of her split from Piqué .
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“I have paparazzi camping outside, in front of my house, 24/7. And there’s not a place where I can hide from them with my kids, except for my own house,” she told the publication.
“You know, we can’t take a walk in the park like a regular family or go have an ice cream or do any activity without paparazzi following us. So it’s hard.”
In the months following their announcement, rumours swirled about the reason behind the split.
After Shakira released cryptic new music, fans theorised Piqué may have been cheating on the singer. Neither party has confirmed or denied this rumour.
Shakira also addressed the breakup in March on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, explaining she “had a rough year” and put up with “so much crap”.
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