Shakira says ‘there was a lot of sacrifice for love’ in relationship with ex Gerard Piqué

Shakira opened up about prioritizing her relationship with her ex-partner, Gerard Piqué, over her career during their 11 years together. 

The 47-year-old singer and the 37-year-old soccer star dated from 2011 to 2022 and share sons Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9. During a recent interview, Shakira reflected on how she gave up professional opportunities to spend time with Piqué while he was playing for FC Barcelona.

“For a long time, I put my career on hold, to be next to Gerard, so he could play football,” Shakira told The Sunday Times in an interview published Friday.

“There was a lot of sacrifice for love,” she added.

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On March 22, the “Whenever, Wherever” hitmaker will debut her first new album in seven years, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore).” Since her separation from Piqué, she released a handful of new tracks, but her last full-length studio album, “El Dorado,” arrived in 2017.

Shakira told The Sunday Times she spent most of the past seven years between her two albums raising her children in Barcelona. After splitting with Piqué, she moved to Miami with Milan and Sasha. 

The three-time Grammy Award winner and the professional soccer player met when he made a brief cameo in her music video for “Waka Waka,” the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

After sparking dating rumors, the two went public with their romance in 2011. Shakira and Piqué surprised fans when they announced their split in June 2022. Speculation of cheating began shortly after Shakira released the track “BZRP Music Session #53,” which many felt confirmed the soccer player had been unfaithful.

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She later admitted she had been “betrayed” during an interview with People en Español. At the time of the split, her father had been “gravely injured” in an accident.

“Everything happened at once. My home was falling apart,” she told the outlet. “I was finding out through the press that I had been betrayed while my dad was in the ICU.”

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Shakira told the outlet she did not think she was “going to survive” at one point.

“The man I have loved the most in my life, my father, was leaving me when I needed him the most,” she revealed. “I couldn’t talk to him or go to my best friend for the advice I needed so much.”

During her interview with The Sunday Times, Shakira shared her thoughts on the challenges of a romance between a musician and an athlete.

“Empathy is key in an artist’s work. An athlete is in a constant state of war and has to avoid empathy at all costs,” she said. “That’s why it’s probably a really bad idea for an artist to hook up with an athlete.” 

When asked if she felt she needed to date another artist, Shakira said, “I don’t know what I need.”

While speaking with Billboard last year, the pop star opened up about “the dream” she had for her family with Piqué.

“My priority was my home, my family. I believed in ‘till death do us part.’ I believed that dream, and I had that dream for myself, for my children,” she told Billboard. “My parents have been together, I don’t know, 50 years, and they love each other like the first day, with a love that’s unique and unrepeatable. 

“So, I know it’s possible. My mom doesn’t leave my [sick] father’s side. They still kiss on the mouth. And it has always been my example.

“It’s what I wanted for myself and my children, but it didn’t happen. If life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade. That’s what I’m doing — making lemonade.”

Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.