Shakira Credits Piqué With Her Motherhood Growth

Shakira’s rare – In a rare interview, 49-year-old Shakira says she holds gratitude toward former partner Gerard Piqué, recalling the breakup as a painful “darkest moment” while insisting her focus stays on her children and career.

When Shakira was asked about her split from Gerard Piqué, it didn’t come out as bitterness. It came out as gratitude—and then, just as quickly, as grief.

In a profile published Friday. May 22. Shakira. 49. told The Times of London that she has “no ill will” toward the father of her children. “I will always have that gratitude in my heart for the father of my kids and [for] turning me into the mother that I am today. ” she said when asked about Piqué. 39.

Shakira and Piqué dated for more than a decade, from 2010 to 2022. They welcomed their sons Milan in 2013 and Sasha in 2015, before announcing their separation. In their joint June 2022 statement. they said. “We regret to confirm that we are separating. ” adding that “for the wellbeing of our children. who are our highest priority. we ask that you respect their privacy.”.

Even the way their relationship played out publicly has stayed vivid in Shakira’s memory. In 2014. she previously told Latina magazine that Piqué was with her “because he wants to be with Shakira the person. not the celebrity. ” describing “real love” and “no […]” before the rest of the quote in the profile breaks off.

But the interview also turns toward what the breakup cost her. Shakira told The Times she faced “darkest moment,” describing how she watched “the dissolution of my family, the family that I had dreamt to keep forever.”

Pain, she said, didn’t just linger—it changed her. “I’ve been through so much pain. but it has made me perhaps in an unforeseen way a wiser person — or stronger. at least. ” she said. She continued. “They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and it is true. ” adding that humans can find resilience “at any moment.” She spoke about learning how strong she can be through “hardships and through pain. ” and said suffering can make you “value friends and support.”.

In the weeks and months after the split, she leaned on the people around her, including Chris Martin and Adele. “Life sometimes can be a bitch, but it’s also beautiful and made of light and shadows,” Shakira said. She thanked life for every moment—“the bright ones and the dark ones”—and for the people who helped her suffer because they “have become my masters who have taught me lessons. very valuable lessons.”.

That emotional pivot lands alongside a firm boundary about her personal life. After the breakup. Shakira said she was romantically linked to Jimmy Butler and Lucien Laviscount before taking time away from dating. Still. she told The Times. “Oh no. no romance for me for now.” “There’s no space or time in my life for that. My plate is quite full. My kids are my priority. and my career.” She added. “Strangely enough. I’m in love with my career like I’ve never been in my life. I’m enjoying my time alone as well.”.

Her future, at least for now, looks loudly career-first. Shakira is slated to perform at the 2026 World Cup later this summer. In the same Friday profile, she teased the tournament anthem she wrote—“Dai Dai”—saying, “It’s going to be extraordinary,” and declaring, “I’m as passionate as ever.”

Shakira Gerard Piqué breakup The Times of London Milan Sasha 2026 World Cup Chris Martin Adele Jimmy Butler Lucien Laviscount Dai Dai