Shakira is reflecting on the emotional aftermath of her breakup from former soccer star Gerard Piqué.
The 49-year-old Grammy-winning singer opened up in a new interview with The Times, published on Friday (May 22), where Shakira described the split as “the darkest moment” since it led to “the dissolution of [their] family.”
Shakira and Gerard were together for 11 years from 2010 to 2022 and share two children together, Milan, 13, and Sasha, 11.
During the same period she was navigating the breakup, Shakira was also caring for her father after he suffered a severe fall when flying to Barcelona to be by her side amid the breakup, making the chapter especially difficult.
“I’ve been through so much pain, but it has made me perhaps in an unforeseen way a wiser person—or stronger, at least,” Shakira shared. “They say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and it is true. It’s amazing to learn that humans have a resilience that we can resort to at any moment in our lives.”
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer went on to reflect on how hardship changed her perspective.
“Sometimes through hardships and through pain is how we discover how strong we can be. Suffering sometimes makes you a better person, makes you value friends and support,” Shakira said.
The multi-time Grammy winner added that while “life sometimes can be a b—h,” it is “also beautiful and made of light and shadows.”
“So I thank life for every single moment, the bright ones and the dark ones, the people who have made me suffer because they have become my masters who have taught me lessons, very valuable lessons,” she continued.
Even years after the breakup, Shakira said she still feels gratitude toward Gerard for their family and the life they built together.
Four years after their split, Shakira shared that she will “always have that gratitude in [her] heart for the father of [her] kids,” while also crediting the relationship with making her “the mother that [she] is today.”
At this stage in her life, Shakira said her focus remains on her children and career, not romance.
“There’s no space or time in my life for that. My plate is quite full,” she explained.
If you didn’t see, Shakira and Burna Boy debuted the music video for their new song “Dai Dai,” which will serve as the official anthem for the 2026 World Cup.
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