Shakira Asks to Keep Her 2 Kids' Lives Private in the Wake of "Relentless" Media Attention

Shakira may be a legendary singer, but at home, she's a mama to two beautiful sons. The Colombian musician shares her kids with her ex, Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué. The two she met on the set of her of her music video for "Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)," the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which Piqué won with the Spanish national team.

Shakira and Piqué began dating in 2011, and welcomed two children over the course of their relationship. In 2022, though, the pair split after Shakira allegedly discovered Piqué had been cheating on her. "We regret to confirm that we are separating," the couple said in a statement shared with People at the time. "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."

In April, Shakira revealed that she'd decided to move her kids to Barcelona for a fresh start. "I settled in Barcelona to give my children a stability which we are now looking for in another corner of the world alongside family, friends, and the sea," Shakira wrote in Spanish on Instagram. "Today we begin a new chapter in pursuit of their happiness."

Shortly afterwards, the star doubled down on requests for privacy for her children. "At this time of changes in my life as a public figure, it is understandable that there is a permanent curiosity on the part of the press about me and my family. However, my children, Milan and Sasha have lived a very difficult year, suffering an incessant siege and relentless persecution by paparazzi and various media in Barcelona," she wrote in Spanish in an Instagram post later that month. "Now that they are beginning a new stage in their lives, I strongly ask the media on behalf of my children to please respect their right to privacy . . . I trust that journalists and photographers are sensitive to the situation Milan and Sasha are facing and can behave in the most humane way possible with them, taking into account that it is about the health and physical and emotional integrity of two minors under 8 and 10 years old who just want to be able to go out and attend school feeling safe and having the peace of mind of not being persecuted or subjected to the constant scrutiny of the cameras. I extend this request no longer as an artist, but as a mother who wants to protect and take care of the psychological and emotional well-being of her children so that they can live a healthy and happy life, as every child deserves."

A month later, Shakira gave a happier update on her family life, and included clips of her kids singing along with her in her "Acróstico" music video — showing that her progeny seem to have inherited at least some of their mom's love for music.

Keep reading to see some of the sweetest photos Shakira and Piqué have shared of their kids.