How many kids does Shakira have? Her sons’ names and custody situation

Shakira loves her kids and says she’ll do anything to make sure that they are safe and happy. “I’m like any other mother. If I have to sell things in the school fair, I do it too,” she told Hello Magazine back in 2019.

Since then, the Colombian singer and her family have experienced a lot of upheaval. She took on the Spanish tax authorities, who claimed she owed 14.5 million euros in unpaid income tax from 2012 to 2014 only to end up reaching a settlement - a 7.3 million euros fine plus a 438,000 euro waiver to avoid a three-year suspended prison sentence.

Shakira and Piqué separate

And while her battle with the taxman raged, she was dealt another sucker punch to her personal life after it emerged that her partner of 11 years, FC Barcelona centre-back Gerard Piqué, was having an affair with a younger woman behind her back. Shakira and Piqué, parents to two boys Milan and Sasha, confirmed her split in June 2022.

Following several months of legal disputes, the former couple eventually reached an accord regarding child support, living arrangements, and holiday plans for their children. While it was decided that Milan and Sasha would reside in Miami with their mother, there were lingering points of disagreement.

In accordance with the provided information, the agreement dictates that the children will reside in the United States with the Colombian singer, who will assume responsibility for their education, healthcare, and day-to-day living and care needs. Piqué, on the other hand, will have the opportunity to visit his children every ten days and will be given priority for upcoming vacations.

The Hips Don’t Lie singer swapped Barcelona for Miami, moving home and taking her two kids with her to Florida to be near their maternal grandparents in April last year. Piqué flew out to visit his children later that month, spending the maximum 10 days with them under the terms of the parents’ custody agreement.

It was also a moment for both parent’s lawyers to discuss and draw up an economical plan to structure the kids’ extracurricular activities. “Basically, the types of activities that the kids would be doing - who will pay, and how it will be paid,” a source explained at the time.

Both parents issued a joint statement, urging the media to respect their children’s privacy and allow them to lead normal lives: “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding,” Shakira explained.

Shakira’s children

Shakira and Piqué welcomed their first child Milan Piqué Mebarak into the world on Tuesday 22 January 2013. He was born at 9:36 p.m. in Barcelona, Spain, weighing in at 6 pounds and 6 ounces. His father explained: “The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification”. Mebarak, Shakira’s last name, is a popular surname in Colombia - it is derived from derived from the Arabic word mubarak meaning blessed.

The couple’s second child Sasha Piqué Mebarak was born almost exactly two years later. He was delivered at a hospital in Barcelona on Thursday 29 January 2015 at 9:54 p.m. local time. The mother confirmed the happy news in a post on Facebook, adding: “The name Sasha is of Greek and Russian descent and means “defender of mankind” and “warrior.” Both Milan and Sasha were registered as Barcelona club members the day after they were born - Milan is No.171,751 and Sasha, No.155,629.

As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2003, Shakira and Piqué hosted a virtual world baby shower following the births of both of their sons. The second initiative raised £101,000 in donations from fans, with funds going to help less privileged children around the world. “We’ve raised enough polio vaccines to be able to vaccinate 40,000 children and enough therapeutic food packets to feed another 15,000 - among other things that will now go to children in need,” the singer wrote after the second event in 2015.