Shakira is opening up about how hard her split with partner Gerard Piqué is.
The couple, who are parents to two sons, Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7, announced in June they were breaking up after 11 years together.
Shakira said realizing she and Piqué, who plays soccer for La Liga club Barcelona, were done as a couple is not something she is not ready to discuss.
“I think that those details are somehow too private to share, at least at this very moment — everything is so raw and new. I can only say that I put everything I had into this relationship and my family,” she told Elle.
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, 45, who is also facing tax fraud charges in Spain, said she had constantly worked and traveled prior to having kids, a lifestyle she decided to change.
“Once Milan started school, at the end of 2014, I knew that my constant travel and nomadic existence had to be put on the back burner and my career had to be put in second gear,” she said.
“I knew that when he started school I had to settle down, plant roots in Barcelona, and be there for him and for Gerard and then later on for Sasha as well. As a soccer player, he wanted to play football and to win titles and I had to support him. I mean, one of the two of us had to make a sacrifice, right? Either he would stop his contract with Barcelona and move to the U.S. with me, where my career is, or I would have to do that instead. And so, one of the two had to make that effort and that sacrifice. And I did it.”
With the decision to stand by Piqué while he further pursued soccer, Shakira created a connection with her children that she loves.
“I put my career in second gear and I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win titles. And it was a sacrifice of love,” she said. “Thanks to that, my kids were able to have a present mom, and I have this amazing bond with them that is unbreakable and that sustains us. You know, that is it. That’s all I can say.”
The breakup has been challenging for Shakira, as well as the couple’s children.
“Oh, this is really hard to talk about personally, especially as this is the first time I’ve ever addressed this situation in an interview,” she said.
“I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all. Um, and yeah, it’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our separation is not like a regular separation. And so it’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult.”
The Grammy winner said shielding their children has been a real hurdle to overcome.
“I have paparazzi camping outside, in front of my house, 24/7,” she said. “And there’s not a place where I can hide from them with my kids, except for my own house. You know, we can’t take a walk in the park like a regular family or go have an ice cream or do any activity without paparazzi following us. So it’s hard.
“And I’ve tried to conceal the situation in front of my kids. I try to do it and to protect them, because that’s my number one mission in life. But then they hear things in school from their friends or they come across some disagreeable, unpleasant news online, and it just affects them, you know?”