Everyone thought they knew how the story ended. The "She Wolf" singer packs up her life in Barcelona, leaves the drama behind, and flies into a Florida sunset with her two boys. Simple, right? Not really. Honestly, the reality of Shakira and family life in 2026 is way more layered than the headlines suggest. It’s not just about a breakup or a move; it’s about a total structural redesign of what "family" means when you’re a global icon dealing with aging parents and kids who are rapidly becoming stars in their own right.
The Miami Shift: More Than Just a Zip Code
When Shakira landed in Miami in 2023, she wasn't just looking for better weather. She was looking for a fortress. In Spain, she was under a microscope—legal battles, paparazzi at the school gates, the whole bit. Miami offered a return to her "maternal" roots. It's where her extended family has been for decades.
It’s worked. Mostly.
The move was actually a "sacrifice" from Gerard Piqué’s side, at least according to his legal team. They spent five months—and a twenty-page agreement—hashing out the details. Basically, Piqué gets ten days a month and three major holiday breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter). If he ever decides to buy a house in Miami? The agreement says they could flip back to fully shared custody. For now, it’s a 70/30 split that keeps the kids mostly in the 305.
Milan and Sasha Are Not Just "Kids" Anymore
Milan is 13 now. Sasha is 11. They aren’t just the toddlers we saw in "Waka Waka" jerseys anymore. They’re actual collaborators. If you’ve been following the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, you know they’ve been part of the creative process. They didn't just sing in the "Acróstico" video because it was cute; they actually earned their own money for it.
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Shakira revealed on The Tonight Show that she’s teaching them about the hustle. They saved their own checks to buy things they wanted.
- Milan: He’s the writer. He processed the split by writing songs on the piano. Shakira mentioned he wrote two "beautiful" tracks during the height of the separation. He’s also a drummer now, recently making his stage debut with a band.
- Sasha: He’s the athlete-meets-entrepreneur. He launched a jewelry and apparel line called "Bad Boyz" at a Miami Christmas fair in late 2024. He also designed the cover art for "Monotonia" on his iPad because he didn't like the Sony designers' version.
The most surprising thing? They don't play Shakira's music at home. She’s been very vocal about wanting them to have a "normal" life. As normal as it gets when your mom is the Queen of Latin Pop and your dad is a legendary Barcelona defender.
The Silent Pillar: William Mebarak’s Health
You can’t talk about Shakira and family without talking about her father, William Mebarak. He’s 94 now. His health has been the invisible hand guiding most of Shakira’s major life decisions lately. In 2022, a bad fall in Barcelona started a long road of surgeries and recovery.
Actually, the move to Miami was delayed specifically because of his health. She wouldn't leave until the doctors said he was stable enough for the flight.
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By late 2025, reports confirmed he was resting at home in Miami, just a short distance from Shakira's place. He’s still her "pillar of strength," but the roles have definitely reversed. She’s the one helping him with cognitive stimulation and physical therapy now. It’s a side of her life that doesn't make the music videos, but it's where most of her emotional energy goes. Her mother, Nidia Ripoll, is usually right there, too. Nidia was even spotted in the front row during the tour's stop in Barranquilla, singing along to every word.
Dealing with the Piqué Shadow
Is it awkward? Probably.
But the "war" phase seems to have settled into a cold peace. The 2026 dynamic is strictly business. They’ve managed to avoid the "high-profile custody battle" that everyone predicted would drag on for years. Piqué visits Miami regularly, staying in hotels or temporary rentals. While the media loves to track his every move with Clara Chia, the family focus has stayed on the kids' stability.
Shakira told ELLE that her "number one mission in life" is to protect Milan and Sasha from the "vulgarized" version of their parents' split. That’s why you see her at Sasha’s karate tournaments or Milan’s baseball games, acting like every other parent in the bleachers. Well, except for the security detail.
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What Most People Get Wrong
People think Shakira is "starting over." She isn't. She’s consolidating.
She’s bringing her parents, her children, and her career into one single hub. For years, she was split between the Bahamas, the US, and Spain. That fragmentation is gone. The 2026 version of Shakira’s family is a tight-knit unit that functions like a small corporation. Everyone has a role.
If you’re looking for a takeaway from how she handles this, it’s the "Acróstico" philosophy: turning pain into a lesson for the next generation. She didn't hide the struggle from her sons; she gave them a piano and told them to play through it.
Moving Forward with the Mebarak-Piqué Clan
If you're following the family's journey, keep an eye on these specific shifts:
- Watch for Milan’s solo music. He’s already showing signs of being a producer. Don't be surprised if he has a credit on her next album that isn't just a guest feature.
- The "Bad Boyz" expansion. Sasha’s interest in fashion and business isn't a fluke. It's a structured move to build his own identity.
- The Barranquilla connection. Despite living in Miami, Shakira is taking the boys back to Colombia more often to visit their grandparents' roots. Expect more philanthropic work through her Pies Descalzos foundation involving the kids.
The narrative isn't about a broken home anymore. It’s about a relocated one. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s very Colombian. But it’s finally stable.
To stay updated on their latest moves, you can follow the official tour updates or check out Sasha's burgeoning brand releases, which usually pop up around the holidays in Miami.