Football star Gerard PiqueÌ has gone Instagram official with his new beau Clara Chia Marti following his much-publicised split with pop star Shakira.
PiqueÌ shared a loved-up snap of his new girlfriend after his almost 12-year marriage break-up with the Hips Don’t Lie singer.
Public relations student Marti, 23, has now been officially linked to the 12 years’ older Spanish soccer star following his split.
PiqueÌ, 35, and Shakira, 45, share two sons, Milan and Sasha, with the pair previously meeting back in 2012, when PiqueÌ starred in her music video for the 2012 FIFA World Cup anthem Waka Waka, before going Instagram official in March 2011, reports Newsweek.
‘Truth in the fridge’ triggered split with Shakira
The couple has been embroiled in a bitter split after the Latin singer alleged PiqueÌ was cheating in her new song, Te Felicito.
In the music video, the singer is seen opening the refrigerator and finding the song’s collaborator Rauw Alejandro’s head.
The refrigerator reference is said to be in conjunction with how Shakira first suspected the cheating allegations, which came down to a simple jar of jam.
It was previously reported that, after returning home from her travels, Shakira had found an empty jar of jam dubbed the “truth in the fridge”.
According to ShowNews Today, Shakira is the only family member who ate that jam, leading to her suspicions that PiqueÌ had someone else in their home and accused him of cheating.
The cheating allegations have now been confirmed, with PiqueÌ publically admitting to his new relationship with Marti.
At the time, Shakira issued a statement sharing the sad news and wrote: “We regret to confirm that we are parting ways. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
People have been helping him keep the romance hush-hush
Who is Clara Chia Marti?
Clara Chia Marti is a 23-year-old public relations student, who lives in Barcelona. According to The Sun, she works for PiqueÌ’s movie and production company, Kosmos, where she oversees special events.
According to the newspaper, PiqueÌ is listed on the company’s webpage as being the CEO, founder, president, and chairman of the board of directors.
Marti is said to be in charge of handling special events while she continues with her studies in public relations.
Unfortunately, information on Marti is sparse, however, she is active on social media, despite the fact her accounts are set to private.
There are several public fan pages, in which Marti can be seen hanging out at the beach, as well as selfies and holidays to Greece, but none have been authorised by Marti herself.
Speaking to The Sun, a source close to Marti reportedly said: “Gerard and Clara have been seeing each other for months.
“She is a student who also works for him in his office, organising events.
“They have been keeping quiet about their relationship but those around them all know what is happening.
“People have been helping him keep the romance hush-hush and have wiped Clara’s social-media accounts so people can’t find photos of her. That alone makes his mates think he is actually quite serious about being with her.”
When did Gerard PiqueÌ and Shakira split up?
PiqueÌ and Shakira ended their 12-year relationship in June, with their split being confirmed on June 4 in a statement from Shakira, which read: “We regret to confirm that we are separating.
“For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for (our) privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
The reason behind their split has not been announced by either party.
PiqueÌ met Shakira when he was training in Madrid ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
During an appearance on The Overlap, the Barcelona centre-back revealed the reasons he and Shakira had never married. He said: “No, I’m not married. It’s her mentality.
“I like it how we are right now. We have two kids, nine and seven right now. We work good as a couple.”
Shakira explained her reasons for not marrying during a 2020 interview.
“I don’t want him to see me as the wife. I’d rather him see me as his girlfriend,” she said on 60 Minutes.
“His lover, his girlfriend. It’s like a little forbidden fruit, you know?”
“I wanna keep him on his toes. I want him to think that anything’s possible depending on behaviour.”
Prosecutors are currently seeking an eight-year jail term for Shakira in a Spanish tax fraud case.
The Colombian singer - who has sold more than 80 million records worldwide with hits such as Hips Don’t Lie – is accused of failing to pay €14.5m (£12.2m) in tax income between 2012 and 2014.
Representatives for the pop star said she has always met her tax obligations and considers the case “a total violation of her rights”.
“The singer is fully confident of her innocence and therefore does not accept a settlement,” her representatives said.