Shakira announces split from longtime partner Gerard Pique

Shakira and her longtime partner, Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué, have split.

The couple announced the split in a statement released on Saturday (June 4).

“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” they said in a statement released by Shakira’s public relations firm. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

The Colombian pop star, 45, has been dating the 35-year-old Camp Nou centre-back since 2011. They share two children, Sasha and Milan.

Piqué and Shakira first met in spring 2010 after the footballer starred in the music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, Shakira’s official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Reports recently surfaced in the Spanish media that Piqué had moved out of the family home in Barcelona and was living alone.

Earlier this year, a Spanish court dismissed Shakira’s appeal in a tax fraud case, paving the way for an upcoming trial.

The case first came to light in December 2018, when prosecutors accused the singer of failing to pay €14.5 million in income taxes between 2012 and 2014.

Shakira denied any wrongdoing when she testified in June 2019.