Shakira has talked for the first time about her shocking split from Gerard Pique after 12 years and two children together but opted to not talk about his new relationship with a much younger woman.

The 45-year-old Colombian singer was candid about how difficult life has been as her relationship with the 35-year-old football star has fallen apart in the cover story for Elle magazine’s October issue, accompanied by an in-depth interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

Shakira – who shares two sons: nine-year-old Milan and seven-year-old Sasha with Pique – made her first public comments on the split as she said: ‘Oh, this is really hard to talk about personally, especially as this is the first time I’ve ever addressed this situation in an interview.

‘I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all. Um, and yeah, it’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our separation is not like a regular separation. And so it’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult.’

She went on to say that the constant spotlight on her personal life has been difficult for her family especially since they have a hard time without being bombarded by media and fans.

Shakira explained: ‘So it’s hard. And I’ve tried to conceal the situation in front of my kids. I try to do it and to protect them, because that’s my number one mission in life.

‘But then they hear things in school from their friends or they come across some disagreeable, unpleasant news online, and it just affects them, you know?’

The now former couple announced their split after a dozen years together back in June though it seemed like Shakira did not want the relationship to end at the time.

Pique already is in a new relationship with 23-year-old PR student Clara Chia Marti many had wondered how it all ended.

Last month there were images of Pique passionately kissing his new love interest in a new video taken by Spanish media outlet Socialite at the Summerfest Cerdanya festival in Catalonia.

Shakira was asked how she came to understand that their long-term relationship was over but kept tight-lipped over her ex’s new romance as she said: ‘I think that those details are somehow too private to share, at least at this very moment—everything is so raw and new. I can only say that I put everything I had into this relationship and my family.’

She went on to talk about having a ‘nomadic life’ before their children started school and then settling down in Barcelona in favor of Pique’s soccer career instead of moving to the US which was best for her music career.

The Hips Don’t Lie hitmaker explained: ‘And so, one of the two had to make that effort and that sacrifice. And I did it. I put my career in second gear and I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win titles. And it was a sacrifice of love.

‘Thanks to that, my kids were able to have a present mom, and I have this amazing bond with them that is unbreakable and that sustains us. You know, that is it. That’s all I can say.’

Shakira also talked about how difficult it has been on she and her sons especially after her father was rushed to the hospital back in June after a ‘bad fall’.

She said: ‘Yeah. I try to conceal the situation from them as much as I can. It’s really upsetting for two kids who are trying to process their parents’ separation. And sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I’m going to wake up at some point. But no, it’s real.

‘And what’s also real is the disappointment to see something as sacred and as special as I thought was the relationship I had with my kids’ father and see that turned into something vulgarized and cheapened by the media. And all of this while my dad has been in the ICU and I’ve been fighting on different fronts. Like I said, this is probably the darkest hour of my life. But then I think about all those women around the world who are going through hardship, who are going through a situation as bad as mine or as difficult as mine or worse.’

‘This is probably the darkest hour of my life’: Shakira also talked about how difficult it has been after her father was rushed to the hospital back in June after a ‘bad fall’

The Don’t You Worry hitmaker went on to marvel at the resiliency of women before explaining that she needs to serve as a strong example for her kids.

She said: ‘So you ask me how I manage this. And I just manage, I guess, reminding myself that I need to become an example for my kids, that I need to be what they want, what I want them to become.

‘And I want to be there, also, for all the people who have shown me their love and support. That is my biggest strength. That’s my most powerful engine right now.’

According to Spanish newspaper El Periodico, Shakira and Gerard are trying to remain friends for the sake of their children, despite their relationship being strained.

The split announcement followed rumors in the Spanish tabloids that the couple were on the verge of breaking up with sources claiming he had cheated on the star.

Shakira’s statement at the time read: ‘We regret to confirm that we are parting ways. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding.’

Spanish outlet El Periodico reported that the couple have been living separately for a few weeks after Pique was kicked out of the family home by the pop star.

According to sources, Pique has since been living a ‘party lifestyle’ in a bachelor pad and enjoying nights out with his teammates.

Neither party has addressed cheating claims but journalist Emilio Pérez reported: ‘(Shakira) has made the decision to separate. That is so. It has happened.

‘That is why there is distance. Perhaps there is nothing left, but that (infidelity) has passed.’

The couple had been together since 2011, with the pair having met while filming the music video for her World Cup song Waka Waka the previous year.

Piqué’s team happened to win the World Cup that year, where his soon-to-be girlfriend performed during the final game.

Though the two corresponded in 2010, the relationship between the two mega-stars wouldn’t officially take off until the start of 2011.

In the fall of 2012, Shakira would use her Instagram platform to announce to fans that she was pregnant with the football star’s son.

Just two years after the birth of son Milan, the couple went in for round two and reveal they would be expecting their second child, Sasha, who was born in 2015.

The couple admitted publicly that they have no plans to wed, but that hasn’t stopped them from having a family life.

Speaking to Gary Neville on a recent episode of The Overlap, the Spain international explained that he hadn’t proposed because their relationship ‘works fine as it is.’

In the Elle interview, Shakira also addressed being accused by the Spanish government of tax fraud as she could face up to eight years in prison.

The singer is accused of pretending on tax documents to live abroad from 2012 to 2014, when she was actually a resident of Spain, authorities from the country claim.

Shakira called Barcelona home while together with soccer star Gerard, who plays for the city.

When asked about fighting this accusations in court, Shakira sighed before saying: ‘Because I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations. First of all, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time at all. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world.

‘Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them. And finally, I was advised by one of the four biggest tax specialist firms in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers, so I was confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one.’

Shakira did not hold back as she even went on to accuse the Spanish tax authorities of using the media to sway the opinion of the public.

She said: ‘However, even without evidence to support these fictional claims, as they usually do, they’ve resorted to a salacious press campaign to try to sway people, and apply pressure in the media along with the threat of reputational damage in order to coerce settlement agreements.

‘It is well known that the Spanish tax authorities do this often not only with celebrities like me (or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Neymar, [Xabi] Alonso, and many more), it also happens unjustly to the regular taxpayer. It’s just their style. But I’m confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor.’

Shakira said that fighting this in court is a matter of principle for her as she is out to prove that she did not qualify as a resident as she was busy traveling the world touring and that the country was not her place of work nor the source of her income.

She explained: ‘While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour. I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident. The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to salivate. It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what.

‘Even for the next few years, I was traveling the world, working nonstop while pregnant or with Milan as a baby, when my C-section had barely closed. They knew I wasn’t in Spain the required time, that Spain wasn’t my place of work or my source of income, but they still came after me, with their eyes on the prize.’

Shakira is said to be planning to leave the country trying to jail her, and eyeing a permanent move to Miami.

The Colombian superstar has already repaid the $15.5 million she is accused of evading on Spanish taxes, as well as over $3 million in interest.

A spokesman for Shakira previously said: ‘Shakira has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer, and faithfully following the counsel of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a prestigious and globally recognized tax firm.’