The Hips Don't Lie hitmaker Shakira final let the world into the agony of her shocking split from Barcelona’s star defender Gerard Pique after 12 years of marriage and blessed with two amazing children.

Shakira a 45-year-old Colombian singer was candid about how difficult life has been as her relationship with the 35-year-old football star has fallen apart in the cover story for Elle magazine's October issue, accompanied by an in-depth interview with Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

Shakira - who shares two sons: nine-year-old Milan and seven-year-old Sasha with Pique - made her first public comments on the split as she said: 'Oh, this is really hard to talk about personally, especially as this is the first time I’ve ever addressed this situation in an interview. 

She went on to say that the constant spotlight on her personal life has been difficult for her family especially since they have a hard time without being bombarded by media and fans.

Pique already is in a new relationship with 23-year-old PR student Clara Chia Marti many had wondered how it all ended.

Last month there were images of Pique passionately kissing his new love interest in a new video taken by Spanish media outlet Socialite at the Summerfest Cerdanya festival in Catalonia.  

Shakira was asked how she came to understand that their long-term relationship was over but kept tight-lipped over her ex's new romance as she said: 'I think that those details are somehow too private to share, at least at this very moment—everything is so raw and new. I can only say that I put everything I had into this relationship and my family.'

She went on to talk about having a 'nomadic life' before their children started school and then settling down in Barcelona in favor of Pique's soccer career instead of moving to the US which was best for her music career.

The Hips Don't Lie hitmaker explained: 'And so, one of the two had to make that effort and that sacrifice. And I did it. I put my career in second gear and I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win titles. And it was a sacrifice of love. 

'Thanks to that, my kids were able to have a present mom, and I have this amazing bond with them that is unbreakable and that sustains us. You know, that is it. That’s all I can say.'

Shakira also talked about how difficult it has been on she and her sons especially after her father was rushed to the hospital back in June after a 'bad fall'.

She said: 'Yeah. I try to conceal the situation from them as much as I can. It’s really upsetting for two kids who are trying to process their parents’ separation. And sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I’m going to wake up at some point. But no, it’s real. 

'And what’s also real is the disappointment to see something as sacred and as special as I thought was the relationship I had with my kids’ father and see that turned into something vulgarized and cheapened by the media.