14 DAY TRIAL // Singer Shakira is officially back on the market: after 11 years with Antonio de la Rua, the two have decided to end their romantic relationship but continue in business together, as the star announces in a post on her official blog.
Since she rose to international fame, Shakira has been obstinately tight-lipped about her relationship to Antonio, only occasionally answering questions about whether they had plans to marry – usually in the negative.
However, the few times she did speak about it, she spoke of love, complete understanding and a long-lasting friendship that was at the core of this beautiful thing they had together.
She’s now saying they will continue having all those, minus the love part, which seems not to be working for them anymore – hence the split.
“Dear Friends, during our almost 11 years together we have loved each other deeply, taken care of each other and stood by one another. They have been the most wonderful years of our lives, and thanks to that love and the respect that we share for one another we have been an exceptional couple and partners,” Shakira writes in a very touching post about the split.
She says she and Antonio will remain business partners and friends even if they’re no longer an item. The split was on very good terms it would seem.
Shakira also mentions that the breakup did not happen not or simply overnight: in August last year, they went on a break to reconsider some aspects and it was perhaps then that they realized they would be better off apart.
“However, since August 2010, we made a mutual decision to take time apart from our romantic relationship. Throughout this time we have continued to work together hand in hand, have remained close and have kept the details absolutely private until now,” the star writes.
Shakira ends her message to fans and the media by asking for privacy: this is the only statement she and Antonio will make about the split, and they both ask everybody to give them some time to themselves.