Shakira stole the spotlight at the MTV Video Music Awards as she posed on the pink carpet alongside her two adorable sons, Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8.
Shakira, known for her signature hip-shaking moves and chart-topping hits, turned heads at the VMAs in a stunning gold dress that accentuated her radiant beauty. In contrast, her sons rocked stylish black and gold tracksuits, showcasing their young and fashionable flair.
Last month, MTV announced that Shakira will be the 2023 recipient of its coveted Video Vanguard Award at this year’s Video Music Awards, making her the first South American artist to earn the honor.
Shakira, a four-time VMAs winner, will accept the award and perform at this year’s ceremony, which will be her first time on an MTV stage in 17 years. She’s up for four Moon People this year: Best Collaboration, Best Latin (2x) and Artist of the Year.
In April, the Colombian songstress, who shares her sons with soccer sensation Gerard Piqué, asked for the media to respect her sons’ right to privacy amid her move from Barcelona. The “TGQ” singer took to social media to address friends and journalists in the media about the difficult year both she and her children have had amid her split from Piqué.
“At this moment of changes in my life as a public figure, it is understandable that there is a permanent curiosity from the press around me and my family. Yet my children, Milan and Sasha have lived a very difficult year, suffering an incessant siege and relentless pursuit by paparazzi and various media in Barcelona,” Shakira began. “As they begin a new phase in their lives, I urge the media on behalf of my children to please respect their right to privacy.”
In addition to asking for the media to respect her son’s privacy, the 46-year-old performer laid out a few ground rules to ensure a smooth transition for the kids as they settle into their new home, in Miami, Florida, where Shakira has lived previously.
“I ask you to refrain from following them to the exit or entrance of the school, wait for them at the door of our house, or chase them to their extracurricular activities, and games as it has happened every day in Barcelona in order to obtain photographs or better ratings,” she continued. “I trust that journalists and photographers are sensitive to the situation facing Milan and Sasha and can behave in the most humane way possible with them, given that this is the health and physical and emotional integrity of two under 8 and 10 years of just wishing they could go out on the street, and attend school feeling safe and having the peace of mind not being chased or subjected to constant surveillance of cameras.”
It’s something, Shakira added, she is asking for not just as an artist who has been in the public eye for two decades, but as a mother who wants to protect her children.
“I extend this petition no longer as an artist, but as a mother who wants to protect and care for the psychological and emotional well-being of her children so that they can live a healthy and happy life, as every child deserves,” Shakira said before ending the lengthy post.
Shakira’s call to the media came days after she announced that she and her children were moving away from Barcelona, where she had lived with Piqué and their two little ones, for over a decade.
“I settled in Barcelona to give my children a stability which we are now looking for in another corner of the world alongside family, friends and the sea,” Shakira wrote in an Instagram caption initially written in Spanish. “Today we begin a new chapter in pursuit of their happiness.”
Shakira thanked her fans for their support while she and her sons navigate the move. “Thank you to everyone who surfed alongside my many waves here in Barcelona, the city where I learned that friendship is definitely more lasting than love. Thank you to everyone who has been there to cheer me up, dried my tears, inspired me and made me grow.”
“Thank you to my Spanish fans who have always surrounded me with their love and loyalty,” she concluded. “For you, this is just a ‘See you later!’ and like my father said so many times, ‘See you around the curves! ❤️”
Shakira and Piqué first announced their split last summer, after Shakira allegedly discovered the soccer player cheating on her with the woman he is now dating publicly, Clara Chía.
In January, the singer’s new music seemingly referenced the scandal with the song lyric, “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan,” which translates to, “Women don’t cry anymore, they send a bill.”
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards is coming to you live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from this year’s VMAs, including the complete list of the nominees and the night’s big winners.
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