Shakira makes rare comment about 'darkest moment' during split with Gerard Piqué

Shakira has given rare comment on her high profile split from Gerard Piqué, describing it as the "darkest moment" of her life.The hitmaker, 49, has opted to keep the details of the separation largely private since she and the former Barcelona footballer called it quits in 2022.But she's now detailed the moment the family she'd "dreamt" of fell apart – which had been compounded by her father's ill health at the time.Speaking to The Times, she spoke of how she was "[living through] the darkest moment – when I saw the dissolution of my family. The family that I had dreamt to keep forever."The moment was made all the more difficult by the fact that her father, William Mebarak, had been in the hospital and seriously ill after a severe fall at the time.And although she was candid about the difficulty of this period, she claimed she eventually emerged from it "stronger.""I've been through so much pain, but it has made me perhaps in an unforeseen way a wiser person – or stronger, at least..."READ MORE: Comedian lucky to be alive after horror accidentREAD MORE: Actor dies at 45 amid homicide investigationREAD MORE: Backlash that nearly ended Kylie Minogue's career"It's amazing to learn that humans have a resilience that we can resort to at any moment in our lives."Shakira and Piqué were together for 11 years prior to calling it quits, originally meeting on the set for Shakira's 2010 Football World Cup smash hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).They went on to become one of the entertainment and sporting world's most high-profile couples before confirming their separation in June 2022.The pair share two sons, Milan, 13 and Sasha, 11.Shakira had previously referred to her ex-partner as "Voldemort," in a past interview with The Times, however her stance appears to have softened in recent years."I will always have that gratitude in my heart for the father of my kids and [for] turning me into the mother that I am today," she said.At the time, rumours had circulated that the former footballer had been unfaithful.When asked about whether she was ready to foray back into the dating scene, she was adamant that she had no interest in doing so."Oh no, no romance for me for now," the singer insisted."There's no space or time in my life for that. My plate is quite full. My kids are my priority. And my career."Strangely enough, I'm in love with my career like I've never been in my life. I'm enjoying my time alone as well."