Months after confirming her heartbreaking split from her partner of 11 years Gerard Piqué, Shakira is openly addressing the reports surrounding their breakup and how it is affecting their children — sons Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7.

In a candid new interview with Elle magazine, the 45-year-old singer emotionally detailed the “tough” split and admitted that it is “probably one of the most difficult, darkest hours of my life.”

“I’ve remained quiet and just tried to process it all,” she began. “Um, and yeah, it’s hard to talk about it, especially because I’m still going through it, and because I’m in the public eye and because our separation is not like a regular separation. And so it’s been tough not only for me, but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult.”

Shakira said she and her children have been sequestered inside as paparazzi camp outside her home 24/7. She also admitted that although she’s tried “to conceal the situation” from Milan and Sasha, they sadly hear distressing rumors in school or online.

“It’s really upsetting for two kids who are trying to process their parents’ separation,” she continued. “And sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I’m going to wake up at some point. But no, it’s real. And what’s also real is the disappointment to see something as sacred and as special as I thought was the relationship I had with my kids’ father and see that turned into something vulgarized and cheapened by the media.”

In June, Shakira and Barcelona footballer Piqué, 35, released a joint statement confirming their split, saying, “We regret to confirm that we are parting ways. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy.”

Sadly, reports circulated about Piqué’s alleged infidelity following the announcement. The 35-year-old has yet to speak out, but Shakira herself told Elle that the details of their split are “too private to share” and that she “put everything I had into this relationship and my family.”

“For those women like me who believe in values like family who had the dream, the big dream of having a family forever, to see that dream broken or shredded into pieces is probably one of the most painful things that you can ever go through,” Shakira said. “But I think that women, we are resilient. You know, we have this resiliency that is just innate in all of us. And we are meant to nurture and to take care of those who depend on us. So you ask me how I manage this. And I just manage, I guess, reminding myself that I need to become an example for my kids, that I need to be what they want, what I want them to become. And I want to be there, also, for all the people who have shown me their love and support. That is my biggest strength. That’s my most powerful engine right now.”

Shakira, who said she put her career on hold to settle down in Spain with her family in 2014, also addressed the reported custody battle that is brewing between her and Piqué — saying the media has heightened any proceedings.

“It’s just a total circus, and everyone is speculating about all of these aspects of our, and more importantly our children’s, lives, and a lot of it isn’t even true,” she told Elle. “Regardless of how things ended or how Gerard and I feel about each other as ex-partners, he is the father of my children. We have a job to do for these two incredible boys, and I have faith that we will figure out what is best for their future, their own dreams in life, and what is a fair solution for everyone involved. And I hope and would appreciate if we were given the space to do that privately.”

Shakira is currently focused on her new music and set to release her 12th studio album — her first since 2017. Thanks to support from family, friends and colleagues, including will.i.am and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Shakira is forging ahead.

“Their support has made me feel that I might be alone, but I am not lonely. Sometimes a woman can be enough. I can be enough at this point for myself and for my family, for my kids,” she concluded.