Shakira details her struggle as single mom: 'Motherhood is non-negotiable'

Shakira opened up about her struggles as a single mother following her messy split from Gerard Piqué. 

In a conversation with Rolling Stone, the Colombian singer, who shares Sasha, 9, and Milan, 11, with the former Spanish footballer, said that her commitment as a mother is "non-negotiable."

The Waka Waka singer shared, "Sometimes achieving balance is difficult, right? How much time do you dedicate to yourself, to your work, to the children? But children always come first and what consumes us the most."

Speaking of the difficulties she faced as a single mother, Shakira said, "I never had to rely on myself as much as I have fighting for my survival and the survival of my kids."

The Hips Don't Lie singer continued, "And that's it: I want to show them that life isn't linear. It's not how people picture it in the movies. Things don't turn out the way we want them to and you have to deal with disappointment. That's part of the human condition. It's why we're here."

Moreover, the musician talked about her heartbreaking experience of parting ways with Gerard.

Shakira shared that the suffering she felt was "probably the greatest I had ever experienced in my entire life, and it kept me from functioning at times."