Shakira Speaks Out About ‘Darkest Hour’ of Her Life, Finds Support in ‘Dear Friends’ Alejandro Sanz and Juan Luis Guerra
Shakira and Gerard Piqué’s split shocked the world when they announced their separation back in June, requesting respect for their privacy and the well-being of their children Sasha, 7, and Milan, 9.
Now, the iconic 45-year-old singer has finally spoken out about how she feels about the split, calling this time “the darkest hour” of her entire life.
The Colombian chanteuse hinted at some foul play from Piqué’s end in her latest Rauw Alejandro-backed single “Te Felicito,” where she sings: “To complete you I broke myself to pieces… I noticed that you are false… I know you well and I know you lie.” Ouch.
The lyrics seemed to tie in perfectly to rumors about the 35-year-old Barcelona soccer star cheating on her with 23-year-old Clara Chía Marti. A.K.A., the woman who is now allegedly his new girlfriend.
The heartbreaking drama comes at the same time that the “Hips Don’t Lie” superstar fights accusations of alleged tax fraud in Spanish courts — plus her father’s serious health issues.
In light of all of those difficulties, Shakira sat down with ELLE magazine to make her voice heard and finally share with her fans her side of the story.
The singer explained to the publication that this is probably one of the hardest times she’s had to face in her life, and has been “incredibly difficult” for both her and her kids. As she still tries to “process it all,” the singer shared that sometimes she feels like the separation from her longtime partner “is all a bad dream” and that she is “going to wake up at some point.”
Zeroing in on the relationship, Shakira described it as something she once saw as “sacred” and “special” but that it has since been “cheapened” by the media.
In many regards, she sees the dissolution of their relationship as an at-times insurmountable challenge. “For those women like me who believe in values like family, who had the dream, the big dream of having a family forever, to see that dream broken or shredded into pieces is probably one of the most painful things that you can ever go through.”
While the “No” singer remained hush about Piqué’s reported new relationship, she did give her fans insight into all that she sacrificed the past 12 years they were together — and her experience is sadly far too relatable for women everywhere.
The singer and dancer explained that she “put everything” she had into her relationship and family. Describing her former life as “nomadic,” touring and recording from country to country and being the all-around rock star she’s always been, Shakira explained she put it all “on the back burner” to make their partnership work.
While she remembers taking her first son Milan everywhere with her at first, even breastfeeding him while filming “The Voice,” she eventually put her career in “second gear.”
She further explained why she officially settled down in Barcelona to be present for Piqué and their children. “As a soccer player, he wanted to play football and to win titles and I had to support him,” she said. “I mean, one of us had to make a sacrifice, right?”
While there seemed to have been a debate on whether Piqué would move to the U.S. with her or she would stay in Barcelona, his career won out. “I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win titles.” Mic drop.
Still, she says the time she spent with her children created an “amazing, unbreakable” bond that “sustains” their family unit to this day, and she is thankful she is a “present mom.”
But that doesn’t necessarily make the cards she’s been dealt this past year any easier. “There have been days when I had to pick up the pieces of me from the floor,” she shared.
Her separation from the soccer star and his alleged new relationship isn’t Shakira’s only present-day difficulty. During the interview with the fashion magazine, she shared that her father had an accident that required brain surgery, and just a week after the surgery fell again breaking bones in his face. Lauding her father’s “strength and his resilience,” the singer is surely trying to follow suit as she also deals with her looming tax fraud case in Spain.
So what about that tax fraud case?
Prosecutors are calling for more than eight years in prison and a $24 million fine for alleged tax evasion, but the “Ojos Así” star is fighting back. Rather than just settling, she says she is choosing to “fight for what she believes,” calling them “false accusations.” Today, she says she is “confident” that “justice will prevail” in her favor.
On the bright side, fans will be happy to know she’s back to making music, which has been a life-saving activity for her. The singer shared she has a new album in the works and that she’s been using music to put herself “back together.”
The Colombian superstar has also revealed she’s been leaning on her closest music friends to cope, depending on kind messages and support from pals like Will.i.am, Chris Martin, Juan Luis Guerra, and Alejandro Sanz. “I might be alone, but I am not lonely,” she said.
While she admits she still has “a hole in [her] chest” after the breakup, she is waiting for it to close to make her newfound alone time a thing of the past.
