Shakira is finding a way other than the release of a diss track to open up about how her separation from Gerard Pique has affected her. In an interview with Enrique Acevedo for Las Estrellas, she confessed she’s “always been very emotionally dependent on men,” and that at one point in time she felt men were needed in order for women to feel complete.

"One way or another, I've managed to learn it from another perspective and feel that I'll be fine on my own," she said. "When a woman has to face hardships in life, she comes out stronger. When you come out stronger it means you're learning to recognize your weaknesses and accept your vulnerability."

 

She suggests that while it can be painful and frustrating to not get the life you imagined for yourself or your family, it pushes you to build your strength.

“There are dreams that are broken and you have to pick up the little pieces from the ground and put yourself together again, and also be an example to my children,” she said. 

The catharsis of it all builds character and the discovery of unknown strength she seems to be describing looks to be a recurring theme, particularly as it pertains to breakups in Hollywood. And particularly as it pertains to women.

Months after Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady announced their separation, Gisele’s been seen enjoying herself, living her best life in her native Brazil for the country’s famed annual carnival. This video of her dancing was shared on tons of pages and blogs, with the comment section full of people praising her joie de vivre

 

And months before that, we saw a similar post-divorce glow with Valerie Bertinelli. Back in November, she shared this video from the airport after her lawyer called to let her know her divorce papers had been signed and were about to be filed. 

“On 11/22/22, I am officially f–king divorced. Happily divorced. Finally. It’s finally over,” Valerie said, adding that it was the “second best” day of her life.

And years before women like Shakira, Gisele, and Valerie basked in the glory of life, post-divorce, there was this famed photo of Nicole Kidman after leaving her attorney’s office during her divorce from Tom Cruise. 

Today, I also wrote about the gendered response to splits in Hollywood, and how men tend to look for sympathy, whereas we’ve seen more and more women cut through the crap and keep it moving. And while Shakira is definitely keeping it moving, there is no part of her looking for sympathy. In fact, she’s making her power known to everyone. 

 

Despite her discussing weakness and vulnerability with Enrique today, she didn’t get to that point without experiencing her fair share of rage. Some of the lyrics in Shakira’s recent songs indicate that she is angry, and rightfully so. But she’s showing what happens when you channel that rage and turn it into art, releasing three hits chronicling their breakup. 

Morgan Evans, the ex-husband of Kelsea Ballerini, who I wrote about today, seems to be trying to elicit sympathy through his sad song and docuseries chronicling his heartbreak. Shakira, on the other hand, is on a war path, and she’s providing a lot of visibility for women along the way.

Since the split, women have responded to the notorious smoking gun of the jam in the fridge with their own experiences. They’ve spoken about everything from trusting their intuition, putting the pieces of infidelity together by any means necessary and of course, dealing with a wicked mother-in-law. 

If her recent activity is any indication, she’s entering into the second act of her music career. And given the success and accolades she’s amassed so far, the last one will be tough to top. But so long as her real-life experiences serve as the inspiration, she’s got a treasure trove of music to come and a worldwide audience ready and waiting to receive it.