Columbian singer Shakira and football star Gerard Pique have parted ways after 11 together, the former’s publicist said in a statement on Saturday. The two never got married. 

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Amid rumours that Pique was cheating on Shakira, her publicist released their statement: “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.”

The two met in 2010 when Shakira was filming the popular Waka Waka song for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. They have two children together – Milan, nine, and Sasha, seven. 

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As per a report by Barcelona-based news agency El Periodico, Shakira recently found out that the Barcelona footballer cheated on her. The 35-year-old defender reportedly was not staying in their home in the Catalan city. He had been staying alone at his bachelor pad in Calle Muntaner. 

Shakira, 45, is one of the biggest names in the global music industry. She has sold more than 60 million albums. Pique, on the other hand, has played more than 600 matches and is a three-time Champions League champion for Barcelona. He won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship. 

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A Spanish court, last week, dismissed the Colombian singer’s appeal in a tax fraud case, paving the way for a trial after a judge previously concluded there was enough evidence to suggest the pop star may have avoided her fiscal obligations to the state.

She has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office out of 14.5 million euros ($15.5 million) on income earned between 2012 and 2014. The prosecutors claim that Shakira moved to Spain in 2011 but maintained official tax residency in the Bahamas until 2015.

Shakira denied any wrongdoing when she testified in June 2019. In the same year, the 45-year-old said that losing her voice two years earlier had been “the darkest moment of her life” and affected her “deeply”. Her voice came back naturally.