Gerard Piqué can't remember to forget ex-partner Shakira, especially after her blistering diss track "BZRP Music Session #53" went viral two months ago.
For the first time since the couple's split in June, the former FC Barcelona star opened up on how he's doing, disputing the narrative that everything always works out for him.
"It is not like that. The problem is how people perceive it or how the press sells it. I keep doing what I want. The day I die, I will look back and hope I have always done what I wanted. I want to be true to myself. I'm not going to spend money cleaning up my image," he told El País in an interview translated to English from Spanish via Google Translate.
"The people I care about and the ones I love are the ones who know me. The rest I don't care.
"I spend my energy on being with my loved ones and giving them what I have. I'm very happy. There have been changes in my life, and I have known how to preserve happiness."
Rumors about Piqué's alleged infidelity swirled after he and Shakira announced their split last summer. According to Page Six, fans noticed that Piqué's current girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti, was in the background of a Zoom call Piqué had done in 2021, while he and Shakira were still together.
A source close to Shakira told the outlet the Grammy-winning singer was "devastated to learn that this woman clearly felt at home in the house they shared with their children."
In turn, she released the track taking direct aim at both her ex and his new love. She performed it for the first time earlier this month on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon."
"I’ve had a very rough year after my separation, and writing this song has been so important to me," she told the late-night host.
The song, which was translated from Spanish to English by Billboard, includes lyrics like, "Sorry baby, I should have thrown you out a while ago / A she-wolf like me is not for rookies / A she-wolf like me is not for guys like you / I'm too good for you, and that's why you're with someone just like you."
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Shakira cleverly and covertly inserts both Piqué and Marti's name into the lyrics.
Another section addresses their new relationship, with Shakira singing, "I wish you luck with my supposed replacement / I don't even know what happened to you / I'm worth two of 22 [year old]," the "Hips Don't Lie" artist sings.
Marti is now 23 years old.
"You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo / You traded a Rolex for a Casio / You're going fast, slow down / Lots of time at the gym, but your brain needs a little work too."
He confirmed his relationship with Marti by posting a photo of the couple to Instagram in January.
Piqué, 36, retired last November after playing his final 14 seasons in soccer with FC Barcelona.
"I'm not going to comment, I don't feel like it," the 36-year-old told El País said of his split with Shakira.
"Everyone has their responsibility to try to do what is best for their children," he said, referencing the pair's young sons Milan, 10 and Sasha, 8.
When challenged by the newspaper that his children are not immune to the media's coverage of their parents' relationship, Piqué was quick to respond.
"It is about protecting them. That is the job of all parents with children. That is what I am focused on, and that is my job as a father," he clarified.
