Four years after Shakira and Gerard Piqué settled their custody battle, the pair have returned to court over ongoing arrangements involving their two sons, Milan and Sasha.
The Colombian superstar is requesting a modification to how the children travel between Miami and Barcelona to spend time with their father, calling on Gerard to travel to Miami instead so that the "burden not fall solely on the children."
© David RamosThe documents propose that during short vacation periods, Gerard, 39, travels to the children instead of the other way around so that the children avoid transatlantic flights and jet lag.
The move would allow "the children to maintain their school, social, and family routine for longer," representatives for Shakira said in a statement, something the singer considers necessary to protect her sons' "emotional, physical, and academic well-being."
© Getty ImagesThe documents make it clear that Shakira, 49, does not intend to reduce the amount of time her children spend with their father, but rather to ensure that the travel required for these visits does not always fall on Milan, 13, and 11-year-old Sasha.
Both Shakira and Gerard personally attended the proceedings on Tuesday, October 6, at the Ciutat de la Justícia in Barcelona, rather than leaving the matter entirely to their lawyers.
© Getty ImagesShakira and Gerard met in 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa. They fell in love and welcomed Milan in 2013, and Sasha in 2015. In June 2022, they announced their separation and, months later, reached an agreement regarding their children that allowed the singer to move with them to Miami, while Piqué continued his life in Barcelona.
The custody battle became the subject of intense media scrutiny with accusations of cheating leveled at Gerard. When Shakira moved her sons to Miami in 2023 she made an unusual plea to the media to respect her sons' "right to privacy."
© Getty Images for ShakiraIt's been a big year for Shakira, who recently extended her Madrid residency with a final date on October 12 due to high demand. In May, Spain's High Court acquitted the "Hips Don't Lie" singer who was awarded a reimbursement of over 60 million euros, including interest, after she was accused of tax fraud and fined 55 million euros ($64 million) in 2021 by the Spanish tax agency.
The dispute dated back to the 2011 tax year but the judge ruled Spanish authorities had failed to prove the singer had spent over a certain amount of time in the country that year.
In order to prove someone is a tax resident, they have to spend over 183 days in the country, while authorities could only prove Shakira spent a total of 163 days.
In response to the result, Shakira's lawyer, Jose Luis Prada, said in a statement: "This decision comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a lack of rigour in administrative practice."
