Shakira Returns to Court With Pique Over Children’s Custody Arrangement

Shakira and Gerard Pique appeared before a judge in Barcelona on Tuesday to discuss a change to their custody deal, four years after their split.

The hearing took place at the City of Justice and was kept under wraps by both legal teams. Both parents went in person instead of leaving it to their lawyers. 

El Mundo reported that the mood was professional but tense. Shakira, who has been based in Madrid during her latest tour, travelled back to her old home city for it.

Her request is about how the children travel during shorter school breaks. Under the deal reached in late 2022, she was allowed to move to the United States with sons Milan and Sasha. She now wants the judge to rethink the "regime of visits" so the boys do not spend so much of their time off flying between Miami and Barcelona.

Her team says the effort of that journey should be shared more fairly. In a statement, her representatives said "the objective is that the effort of traveling between Miami and Barcelona does not fall solely on them." For holidays lasting only a few days, she wants Pique to fly to Miami to see the boys, so they can avoid jet lag and stay at home.

Her lawyers told the court the change would let the children "maintain during more time their school, social, and family routine." They also rejected any idea that she is trying to cut Pique out. The petition, they said, does not seek to "reduce the time that the children spend with their father." It only changes how that time is arranged.

The boys have had a lot to adjust to since moving to Miami in April 2023. They had lived in Barcelona since birth. Shakira argues that fewer short flights to Spain would help them feel more settled. She has also spoken before about the heavy media pressure her family faced in Spain and has asked for her children's privacy to be respected.