For some quick context, Shakira and Gerard announced last June that they were parting ways after 11 years together. The singer later told Elle that the details of their breakup were “really hard to talk about,” and that she was “going through it.”
As you may recall, it was widely speculated that Gerard had cheated on Shakira, with journalist Jordi Martin publicly alleging that model Bar Refaeli had frequently visited the soccer player during the early years of his and Shakira’s relationship. Sources close to Gerard later denied any “infidelity” on his part.
At the time of the split, it was rumored that their longtime nanny, Lili Melgar, had been the one to tell Shakira about Gerard’s alleged affair, and that he fired her on the spot — without compensation — as soon as he found out. Gerard has never addressed this rumor.
And ever since the breakup, Shakira hasn’t held back when it comes to throwing shade at Gerard in her songs.
Last April, for example, Shakira seemingly addressed the split in her song “Te Felicito (I Congratulate You).” She said, “I was warned, but I didn’t take heed / Don’t tell me you’re sorry / I know you well and I know you’re lying.”
When later asked if that lyric had anything to do with Gerard, Shakira said: “I can only say that either consciously or subconsciously, everything I feel, everything I go through is reflected in the lyrics I write, in the videos I make.”
Months later, Shakira seemingly slammed Gerard again in her collaboration with DJ Bizarro, “BZRP Music Sessions #53.” She sang, “I’ve outgrown you and that’s why you’re with a girl just like you,” before adding, “No hard feelings baby, I wish you the best with my supposed replacement. I don’t even know what happened to you.”
And now, Shakira seems to have kicked things up a notch by featuring her and Gerard’s aforementioned ex nanny, Lily, in the music video of her latest track, “El Jefe.”
The track, which features the band Fuerza Regida, is about labor exploitation faced by the working class. At the end of the music video, Lili appears on screen and looks straight into the camera as Shakira directly references the former nanny by name.
According to English translations of the Spanish lyrics, Shakira sings, “Lili Melgar, this song is for you. They didn’t compensate you.”
Reacting to the music video on Twitter (aka X), several users praised Shakira for publicly supporting Lili.
You can watch the music video for yourself here.