Celebrity couple Shakira, Pique confirm they are splitting up

Colombian pop music celebrity Shakira and her partner, Spanish soccer player Gerard Pique, are breaking up, the set said in a declaration released Saturday.

“We regret to verify that you respect our privacy that we are separating,” the two

in a statement released by Shakira’s public relations firm.

“For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask. Thank you for your understanding.”

Shakira, 45, met the Barcelona defender while she was promoting her 2010 World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka ( this right time for Africa).”