Pop star Shakira and her longtime partner, Gerard Pique, have confirmed that they are separating after days of speculations. The duo, who began dating 11 years ago, grabbed headlines earlier this month after reports surfaced that Shakira caught the Spanish footballer with another woman. They did not clarify the rumours at the time.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the couple said in a joint statement obtained by PEOPLE. “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.”
Shakira and Pique share two sons, Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7. The former couple first confirmed their relationship in March 2011. They met on the set of Shakira’s music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which served as the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Though Shakira and Pique were together for over a decade, they never tied the knot. “(Gerard is) with me because he wants to be with Shakira the person, not the celebrity,” Shakira told Latina magazine in 2014. “There’s real love, there’s no ulterior motives. And I’m with him because he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met. We want the same things, we like the same things, we hate the same things. I have never been with someone so passionate in my life.”
Shakira and Pique also celebrated Valentine’s Day together this year, and the ‘Hips don’t lie’ singer shared a photo to mark the occasion on social media.
On June 4, in addition to confirming her breakup, Shakira also addressed rumours that she was recently “seen in an ambulance” in Barcelona.
“I just wanted to let you know that those photos are from last weekend (the 28th) when my dad, unfortunately, had a bad fall and I accompanied him in an ambulance where he is recovering now,” she explained on Twitter. “Please do send all of your best wishes his way and thank you as always for all of your love and support.”
