Shakira Says "Monogamy Is A Utopia"—Her Parents Are Her "Example" After 50 Years Of Marriage

In a candid interview with Marie Claire, Shakira, 47, opened up about her challenges during the album's creation and turning her pain into creativity. For Shakira, the album is not just a collection of songs but a testament to the human spirit's ability to persevere in the face of adversity, and she hopes other women will be empowered through her music.

“Deep down, I always thought having a husband was the most important thing in my life,” Shakira admitted during the interview, her eyes on the floor. “I was in search for that man like my dad, who I’d have kids with and then make plans to be with forever – like my parents, who are still so in love. I made many sacrifices for this. I was loyal. But sometimes things don’t go as planned. You move on."

Now, as a single mother to two young boys, Shakira is navigating the delicate balance between work and motherhood with grace and determination but admitted that it's “the challenge of the century."

“Look, I’m not going to lie to you," she told the interviewer. "I always dreamt about having a family of four. And for a while [after the split], it felt like a three-legged table. I wondered how we were going to survive, how we were going to do it."

However, now two years later, she feels that she has a “pretty good dynamic going on. We talk a lot. We have a constant dialogue. I listen to their opinions and vice versa. We work it out.”

She's also committed to instilling strong values in her sons and teaching them the importance of integrity and honesty in a world where promises often go unfulfilled.

“I’ve made it my own personal objective to raise loyal boys, honest men. I want them to be men of their word. In today’s world, a person’s word is often worthless. People over-promise and under-deliver. And I want my kids to be exactly the opposite,” she said.

When asked if she still believes in love after such a devastating betrayal, Shakira responded, “I cannot say that I don’t believe in love because I see the example of my parents after 50 years together; how they look into each other’s eyes and hold hands and can’t live apart from each other. I’ve witnessed love, I just haven’t been that lucky myself. Monogamy is a utopia. But I’ve been compensated in other ways, with the love of my fans and my children and true friends. Oscar Wilde said that friendship is the purest form of love, and I think that’s true. It lasts longer – at least in my experience. My relationship [lasted] 12 years, but my friends will be there a lifetime. When hardship came, that’s when I learned how truly important friendship was.”

Throughout the interview, she attributed her drive and determination to her upbringing and the dedication of her parents, who instilled a deep gratitude in her life at a very young age, particularly after they suffered from socialist economic policies in Colombia.

Shakira said she hopes her career and love life will serve as a powerful example of female empowerment, inspiring others to persevere in hard times. Her final bit of advice was simple but wise: Stand up for yourself, know your worth, and never let anyone diminish your spirit.

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