Shakira and Gerard Piqué have SPLIT after 11 years together

Balloon World Cup in Spain
Balloon World Cup in Spain / VIEW press/GettyImages

Hips Don't Lie but men do! Shakira and her partner Gerard Pique have announced they are separating.

The 45-year-old Columbian singer and the 35-year-old FC Barcelona defender have been together for 11 years and share two children, nine-year-old Milan and seven-year-old Sasha.

In a joint statement via their PR agency, they said: "We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the wellbeing of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy."

It followed weeks of speculation about the pair's relationship status in the Colombian press, with a source claiming she "could no longer cope with the situation".

The She Wolf songstress hinted at disharmony between the pair in her latest hit Te Felicito with Rauw Alejandro, in which she sings: 'To complete you I broke into pieces; I was warned, but I didn't listen; I realized that yours is false...

"It was the drop that overflowed the glass; Don't tell me you're sorry, that sounds sincere, but I know you well and I know you're lying."