Although Shakira and Gerard Piqué ended their 11 year relationship last year, the alleged drama surrounding their split has continued to make headlines.
In June, a representative for the singer shared a statement to announce her breakup which read: “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
Over the last few months, some reports have been made about why the pair might have broken up. Shakira also released multiple TikTok videos and new songs that appear to reference her ex, who went Instagram official with his new girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti, in January.
Along with her music and social media account, the “Whenever, Wherever” singer has publicly spoken out about the breakup and how she’s found her strength after it.
Here’s everything to know about Shakira and Piqué’s split.
What is the drama about the jam?
In January, reports first broke that Shakira -- who shares two children, Sasha and Milan, with Piqué -- found out about Piqué’s alleged infidelity through a jar of strawberry jam. The speculation first stemmed from a music video for her and Rauw Alejandro’s song, “Te Felicito,” which was released in August 2022.
In one scene of the music video, Shakira is be seen looking into a refrigerator. According to ShowNews.today, Shakira was asked in an interview what she was looking for in the fridge and she reportedly said: “To find the truth! It is when I go to the fridge and find the head of Rauw Alejandro.”
ShowNews.today also reported that Shakira went on to do an interview with Spanish TV Program Socialite and said that there was one strawberry jam in her fridge that she loved to eat, but the soccer player strongly disliked it. However, when she finished travelling for work, she allegedly came home and discovered that some of her jam was missing.
From there, she apparently realised that another woman, who Piqué allegedly had an affair with, was the one who had been in her home and eaten her jam.
How has Shakira subtly addressed the break up on social media and through her music?
On TikTok, fans think that the singer has made several references to her split. Last month, she shared a video of herself lip syncing to SZA’s song, “Kill Bill,” as she mopped the floor. She recited the lyrics: “I might kill my ex, not the best idea / His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here?”
The video prompted viewers to speculate that she was sending a message to the athlete and question if she was mopping jam off the floor, referring to the theory on how she found out about Piqué’s alleged infidelity.
Throughout the last month, Shakira also released new music which fans have been calling her “diss” tracks. In one new tune, “TDG”, she is believed to be targeting the Barcelona footballer and his girlfriend.
Shakira sings: “What we lived I forgot. And that is what has offended you. And life has got even better for me. You are no longer welcome here.”
Following the song’s release, Shakira addressed the track and the story behind it during a recent appearance on the Mexican programme En Punto con Enrique Acevedo. Although she didn’t mention Piqué by name, she appeared to blast him by pointing out how she once thought that a woman needed “a man to be complete”.
“I bought the story that a woman needs a man to be complete. I had that dream of having a [nuclear] family: mother and a father living with their children living under the same roof. Not every dream in life comes true, but life finds a way to make it up to you,” the “She Wolf” singer said, per The Independent’s translation.
What has Shakira publicly said about her split?
The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has now publicly spoken out about gaining her strength back after her breakup. During a recent interview with En Punto con Enrique Acevedo, she explained how she’s focused she is on herself and being happy alone.
“I’ve always been very emotionally dependent [on men] – I have to confess this. I was in love with love,” she said, per People’s translation. “One way or another, I’ve managed to learn it from another perspective and feel that I’ll be fine on my own.”
She detailed how women “come out stronger” when facing a hardship in life, adding: “When you come out stronger it means you’re learning to recognize your weaknesses and accept your vulnerability.”
Along with being comfortable with herself, she said that she feels “complete” with her sons by her side. “I feel like I can depend on myself and I have two kids who depend on me,” she told the publication.
Who is Piqué’s new girlfriend?
Piqué was first spotted with his now-girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti, in August 2022, just three months after his split from Shakira.
On 25 January, he made his relationship Instagram official and posted an intimate selfie with the 23-year-old on his page. Weeks after sharing the photo, he spoke about his partner for the first time and revealed that she helps him pick out his clothes.
“The truth is I go with my girlfriend to the shops and she buys them for me,” he said during an appearance on Spanish Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos’s live stream, according to the Daily Mail. “I’m a puppet.”
