Shakira says she’s ‘stronger than a lion’ amid split from Gerard Piqué

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Shakira has opened up about finding her strength following her breakup with Spanish football star Gerard Piqué after 11 years together.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer spoke with Mexican journalist Enrique Acevedo about her split from the Barcelona footballer during an interview with En Punto con Enrique Acevedo on 28 February. Shakira, who shares two children with Piqué, explained how she’s focused on herself as her ex moves on with his new girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti.

“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, adding that she once believed that a woman needed a man to complete herself.

“One way or another, I’ve managed to learn it from another perspective and feel that I’ll be fine on my own,” she continued. “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.”

Now, the 46-year-old singer said she feels complete with her sons Milan, 10, and Sasha, eight, by her side.

“I feel complete – because I feel like I can depend on myself and I have two kids who depend on me,” she said.

Shakira added: “I have to be stronger than a lion. That strength, in order for it to be real and not a facade, it needs to be the result of a great pain – accepting that pain and tolerating the frustration because there are things in life that don’t turn out the way we want them to.”

During the Mexican television programme, Shakira also spoke about her recent single “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol 53”, which many fans have labelled as a diss track towards her ex. While discussing the song, the “She Wolf” singer seemingly shaded Piqué’s new girlfriend when she said: “As Madeleine Albright would say, ‘There is a special place in hell for women who don’t support [women].’”

In June 2022, Shakira and Gerard Piqué announced they were separating after 11 years together. “We regret to confirm that we are separating,” they said in a joint statement. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy.

Since then, Piqué has gone public with his romance with 23-year-old Clara Chia Marti on social media.