Inside The Relationship Between Shakira And Gerard Piqué

When news broke that Shakira and Gerard Piqué were ending their relationship in June 2022, fans of the singer and Spanish soccer star were stunned. After all, the two had been together for over a decade, and were parents to two young boys — and they seemed like they had everything going in their favor.

The pair didn't release a specific reason for their separation, apart from a terse, official statement delivered via People that said in part, "We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority."

It was a quiet and confusing end to a relationship that began back in 2010, when Piqué connected with Shakira while they were both in the music video for "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" (via CBS News). One thing led to another, and the two were officially a couple by the following year. They quickly added to their family, and occasionally offered glimpses into their life together by way of Instagram and other social media. Let's take a deeper look at the relationship between Shakira and Gerard Piqué.

Shakira and Gerard Piqué were still going strong a year later, though the two had yet to confirm their relationship in a major way. All of that changed in May 2011, when Piqué joined Shakira onstage while the singer was in Barcelona, Spain, as part of her The Sun Comes Out World Tour. Much to the delight of fans and several teammates of her soccer star boyfriend, Shakira offered Piqué and his friends a dance lesson. Most notably, the group attempted to learn to shake their hips a la Shakira (via Daily Mail).

The pair upped the ante when they decided to hug and kiss in front of everyone, confirming what some already suspected: They were definitely in a relationship. The crowd was beyond thrilled to see their favorite singer in love with someone who seemed to be treating her so well. 

Later that year, in March, Shakira posted a photo of the couple on Twitter with the caption: "I present to you my sunshine."

Milan Piqué Mebarak was joined by his younger sibling in 2015. After confirming her second pregnancy in a post shared on Facebook in August of 2014, Shakira again returned to her website to announce her second son's birth. She posted a short statement indicating that both she and baby Sasha Piqué Mebarak were healthy and safe: "Yes, we are expecting our second baby!! Thank you all for your well wishes!"

Shakira also shared a photo of her newborn son's foot on Instagram, joking that her second son definitely inherited something from his father. She wrote, "Tengo los pies de papi, parece que hubiese estado jugando futbol toda mi vida / I have Daddy's feet, it looks like I've been playing football my whole life." Like older brother Milan, Sasha was also born in Barcelona, Spain.

Shakira and Piqué also issued a statement explaining the reasoning behind the name choice for their second-born. They wrote that the name Sasha can mean both "warrior" and "defender of mankind" (via The Hollywood Reporter).

In August 2018, Gerard Piqué announced his plans to retire from international football (per BBC). He had first mentioned his upcoming retirement back in 2016, when he had implied that he felt personally attacked by some on the team. The Guardian reported that he explained, "I always give everything I have on the field, but there are people who think it's better if I'm not here." The publication went on to note that some Spanish fans of the Barcelona player didn't seem to appreciate his pro-Catalonia position, often mocking him during games.

Shakira appeared to completely support his decision. She took to Instagram to make it clear that she was on her boyfriend's side, sharing a photo of him from a match and captioning it, "Love, finish a stage that we will always keep in our hearts. One of the happiest moments of my life has also been seeing you win in 2010 with the national team and celebrating champions with Spain!"

The announcement did not impact Piqué's role at FC Barcelona, as he made it clear he would continue to play in his country. 

Despite the fact that Shakira and Gerard Piqué had been together since 2010, in 2020 she admitted to "60 Minutes" that the idea of marrying her boyfriend of a decade was scary to her. In fact, Shakira went on to explain that she didn't want Piqué to see her as his wife, and that she preferred he think of her as his girlfriend instead. As she said, "His lover, his girlfriend. It's like a little forbidden fruit, you know? I wanna keep him on his toes. I want him to think that anything's possible depending on behavior."

Despite the fact that Shakira and Piqué weren't married, the following year it was clear that she certainly thought of him in lifelong terms. While explaining to Cosmopolitan that she worries about her two children all the time, she explained that her worry had carried over to her partner. As she put it, "I torture my poor husband. Well, he's not really my ... I don't know what to call him!"

In June 2022, fans of Shakira and Gerard Piqué were surprised by the announcement that the couple was separating after 12 years of partnership. They issued a short and pointed statement, saying that "we regret to confirm that we are separating. We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect" (via People).

While there was no official reason given for the pair's split, some publications (such as El Periodico) stated there were rumors that Piqué was unfaithful to the singer. People noted that the lyrics to Shakira's song "Te Felecito" appeared to paint a picture of a relationship that had come to an end, and wrote that Shakira sings in part, "For completing you I broke into pieces/They warned me, but I did not pay attention/I realized that yours is false/It was the drop that overflowed the glass/Do not tell me you're sorry, that seems sincere, but I know you well and I know you lie."

Gerard Piqué was reportedly spotted out with another woman only a handful of days after he and Shakira announced the end of their long-term relationship. In late June 2022, the Daily Mail reported that the soccer star was spending part of his time partying with a mystery woman in Stockholm, Sweden. The news broke after another woman shared a photo of Piqué and his unknown companion.

The woman who shared the photo has been identified as restaurant owner Katrin Zytomierska, who blasted Piqué on social media after he apparently refused to take a photo with her son. As she wrote on social media, "Listen to me you loser @3gerardpique. Probably most girls at this party want to xxxx you. I see you and immediately think of my son. I was clear with you. I asked you to say hello to my son. You said 'no.'" Zytomierska went on to ask the soccer pro what made him feel as if he could be rude to a child, writing, "What makes me sad is that fame has got into your head and that is pathetic."

Zytomierska went on to add that she didn't know who the woman in the photograph was. She ultimately made her social media profiles private after the post garnered international attention.