Amid cheating rumors, Shakira confirms her separation from Gerard Pique

Colombian singer Shakira and Footballer Gerard Pique have announced their separation amid the cheating rumours. The couple has been together for 12 years, however, they never got hitched. In the decade long relationship, Sharika and Gerard welcomed two sons - Milan Piqué Mebarak, 9, & Sasha Piqué Mebarak, 7.

On Saturday, the singer, 45 and former professional footballer, 35 announced their separation in a joint statement. "We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy," the statement said.

The shocking news of their split comes after Pique's cheating news took the internet by storm. Many reports suggested that the couple have been living separately for a few months now after Shakira found out about her affair with another woman. Pique has moved out and is living in Barcelona.

However, they have not commented on the cheating news yet.

The couple first met in the year 2010 on the set of Shakira`s "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)". The singer sang the official 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem and Gerard appeared in the video.

''I wasn't a soccer fan, so I didn't know who he was," Shakira recalled later during an interview. "When I saw the video, I was like, 'Hmm, that one's kind of cute.'And then someone decided to introduce us."

However, after a few months of dating, the couple called it split only to come back stronger for the second time. In the year 2011, the former couple confirmed that they had split in August 2010. However, a few months later, in March of the same year, the couple made their relationship Instagram official. 

Shakira also hinted about Pisque cheating in the song ‘Te Felicito’ with Rauw Alejandro. In the song, Shakira sings, “To complete you, I broke into pieces, was warned, but I didn’t listen; I realised that yours is false.''

Meanwhile, The "Hips Don`t Lie" singer is facing a trial over alleged tax fraud charges in Spain after she lost an appeal on May 26. Prosecutors claim she failed to pay up to 14.5 million euros ($15.54 million) in tax on income earned between 2012 and 2014.