Gerard Pique Is 'Very Happy' After Shakira Split: I'm 'Faithful to Myself'
Gerard Piqué has unapologetically moved on following his breakup from Shakira after a decade together.
Shakira and Soccer Player Gerard Pique: The Way They Were
“I keep doing what I want,” the retired FC Barcelona defender, 36, recently told Spanish newspaper El Pais interview, noting he feels “very happy” in his life. “The day I die, I will look back and hope I have always done what I wanted. I want to be faithful to myself.”
He added: “I’m not going to spend money cleaning up my image. There have been changes in my life and I have known how to preserve happiness.”
Piqué and the “She Wolf” songstress, 46, announced in June 2022 that they had called it quits after more than 10 years together. The former couple had never tied the knot despite their longtime relationship.
Everything Shakira Has Said About Her Gerard Pique Breakup
“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the twosome — who share sons Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8 — wrote in a joint statement at the time. “For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.”
Shortly after the former pair’s split, Piqué was spotted making out with PR student Clara Chia — who is 12 years his junior — at an August 2022 Dani Martín concert in Puigcerdà, Spain. After the PDA photos surfaced, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Shakira was “heartbroken” to see her former beau move on so quickly.
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“She is happy to have her kids to lean on as this is a tough time for her,” the insider noted that August. “She just wants what’s best for the kids and is trying to keep them away from hearing and seeing all the negative things in the news about her.”
The Colombia native, who has since penned several breakup anthems about her separation from Piqué, has been candid about navigating her new normal.
“This is really hard to talk about personally, especially as this is the first time I’ve ever addressed this situation in an interview,” Shakira told Elle in a September 2022 profile. “I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all. … 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.”
Shakira and Ex Gerard Pique's Family Album With Sons Milan and Sasha
She added at the time: “It’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult. … 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 No. 1 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?”
The “Hips Don’t Life” artist and the Kosmos founder signed a custody agreement regarding their two sons in November 2022. Us confirmed at the time that both Milan and Sasha will be relocating to Miami with the singer, leaving their previous residence in Spain. (Piqué, Shakira and the boys were previously based in Spain amid his contract with FC Barcelona, though he has since retired from pro soccer.)
“Everyone has their responsibility to try to do what is best for their children,” Piqué said in the aforementioned interview, noting his top priority is “protecting” Milan and Sasha. “That’s the job of all parents with their kids. … That’s my role as a father.”
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The former Manchester United athlete’s relationship with Chia, 23, has also continued to heat up. The pair made their Instagram debut as a couple in January, sharing a sweet selfie of themselves cuddling.
