“I Feel Complete,” How Shakira Found Strength in Her Split From Gerard Piqué

Shakira and soccer star Gerard Piqué announced the end of their long-term relationship in June 2022. Since then, the singer has released songs about the split and even admitted in one of them that seeing her ex with someone else hurt. However, in her first interview since the breakup, she revealed that there is some silver lining in it all.

The singer is making the best of a tough situation.

In an interview with Enrique Acevedo for a Mexican TV channel that was conducted in Spanish, Shakira opened up about how she’s been dealing with the separation and has been able to take positive lessons from it to improve herself. “I’ve always been very emotionally dependent [on men],” she confessed. “I was in love with love [...] One way or another, I’ve managed to learn it from another perspective and feel that I’ll be fine on my own.”

The Colombian singer, often called the “Queen of Latin Music,” also talked about finding strength in the experience. “When a woman has to face [hardships] in life, she comes out stronger. When you come out stronger it means you’re learning to recognize your weaknesses and accept your vulnerability,” she said, elaborating even further. “That strength, in order for it to be real and not a façade, it needs to be the result of a great pain.”

The 46-year-old, who shares 2 kids with Piqué, is “on the way the way up” and has reached a feeling she never thought would happen. “I feel complete because I feel like I can depend on myself and I have 2 kids who depend on me,” she added. “There are dreams that shatter, and we need to pick up the pieces and put them back together ourselves.”

The couple was together for 12 years.

In a joint statement, Shakira and Gerard Piqué shattered the hearts of the couple’s many fans by making their break-up public. “We regret to confirm that we are separating,” they said. “We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect.”

The pair first let the world know they were dating in March 2011 through a Facebook post. They met on the set of the singer’s music video for “Waka Waka” (This Time for Africa), a song that served as the official anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.