Madrid: Superstar Shakira and FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique have announced their separation on Saturday.
They called off their relationship nearly after a decade.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our utmost priority, we request respect for (our) privacy,” they said in a statement.
The couple shares two sons and had been living together for years on the outskirts of Barcelona.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll is a Colombian singer who is referred to as the “Queen of Latin Music” and is noted for her musical versatility.
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She made her recording debut with Sony Music Colombia at the age of 13.
Shakira entered a relationship with the Spanish football player Gerard Piqué in 2011.
Pique, who is exactly ten years her junior as they share a birthday, first met Shakira in the spring of 2010, when he appeared in the music video for Shakira’s song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Shakira gave birth to the couple’s first son Milan on 22 January 2013 in Barcelona, Spain, where the family had taken up residence.
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Shakira gave birth to their second son Sasha on 29 January 2015.
Forbes listed Shakira and Piqué in their list of “World’s Most Powerful Couples”.
However, the couple has announced their separation after being together for 12 years.