Shakira, 46, was dealing with more than just her split from her longtime partner Gerard Pique, 36, in 2022. The Columbian singer revealed in an interview with People en Español that Gerard “betrayed” her while her father William Mebarak Chadid was in the ICU after suffering a bad fall. “He went to Barcelona to console me after I was consumed with sadness because of my separation,” Shakira said about her dad. “While he was at [her son] Milan’s first communion, he was gravely injured in an accident. Everything happened at once,” she added. “My home was falling apart. I was finding out through the press that I had been betrayed while my dad was in the ICU.”
Shakira and Gerard, who share sons Milan, 10 and Sasha, 8, announced their split in June 2022. Their relationship reportedly came to an end because Gerard allegedly cheated on Shakira with his now-girlfriend Clara Chia Marti, 24. In her interview with People en Español, Shakira recalled how she thought she “wasn’t going to survive” when she was dealing with the situations with her dad and her marriage.
“The man I have loved the most in my life, my father, was leaving me when I needed him the most,” she explained. “I couldn’t talk to him, or go to my best friend for the advice I needed so much.” Shakira said her dad is still recovering and applauded him for being “a wonderful man and an endearing character who surprises us all with his strength.”
Shakira and Gerard have shaded each other since their messy split. The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has released several breakup anthems, including “BZRP Music Sessions #53”with DJ Bizarrap, where she refers to Clara as her “supposed replacement.” Gerard, meanwhile, accused Shakira’s fans of having “no lives” when he appeared on Gerard Romero’s podcast on April 1. The retired soccer player also said he’s learned to not care about what other people think or say about him.
Since her breakup with Gerard, Shakira has moved out of Barcelona, where she and her ex lived during their relationship, and has relocated to Miami, Florida with her kids. The superstar has been hanging out with race car driver Lewis Hamilton, 38, and they are reportedly in the “early stages” of a budding romance, according to PEOPLE. The pair first sparked romance rumors after they were spotted enjoying a day out at sea in Miami on May 10. Before that, Shakira was linked to Tom Cruise, 60, when they hung out at the Grand Prix on May 7.