Shakira is asking the paparazzi and intrusive media outlets to consider the impact of their actions on her children.
The singer, who recently revealed she was moving her family out of Barcelona, Spain following her split from ex Gerard Pique, has issued a public statement urging the media to be more respectful:
“In this period of change in my life as a public figure, it’s understandable that there is a permanent curiosity on behalf of the press around me and my family,” she begins.
“However, my children, Milan and Sasha, have endured a very difficult year” she continues, adding that the paparazzi have been “incessant” with their harassment.
“Now that they are beginning a new life, I implore the media, on behalf of my children, to please respect their right to privacy. I beg you to abstain from following them to the entrance and exit of their school, wait for them at the door of our home, or follow them to their extracurricular and recreational activities as the media did in Barcelona with the intent of capturing photos or boosting ratings.”
She urges the paparazzi to keep in mind “that this is about the physical and emotional health and safety of two minors, just 8 and 10 years of age, who only want to be able to go out in public and attend school feeling safe and tranquil that they aren’t being followed or subjected to the constant scrutiny of cameras.”
Shakira makes it clear that she’s reaching out “as a mother who wishes to protect and care for the psychological and emotional well-being” of her children, because all kids deserve to live a happy and healthy life.
The superstar is one of many celebrity mamas to share public statements asking the paparazzi to back off. In 2021, Game of Thrones actor and mum Sophie Turner shared a blunt message in her Instagram stories: “It’s f***ing creepy that grown, old men are taking pictures of a baby without permission.” A few weeks later, supermodel and mum Gigi Hadid shared an open letter to the media asking them to be more considerate and highlighted how scary it can be to have packs of men following her daughter: “I can imagine that close or dramatic paparazzi frenzies must be overwhelming and disorienting…it still is as an adult that understands and deals with it often.” Not long after that, Blake Lively described how her children were “being stalked by men all day. Jumping out. And then hiding.”
The list goes on and on.
This is where consumers can play a huge role in the supply-demand chain – if we don’t click on these photos of celebrities’ children, paparazzi are less likely to take them in the first place and media outlets are less likely to publish them. Shakira’s kids are currently being harassed because there is a demand for these photos. The clicks are generating profit for publications. So the cycle continues.
Think twice before you click!
Check out Shakira’s full message below:
Apreciados amigos, periodistas y medios de comunicación… pic.twitter.com/Rxw82l0j15
— Shakira (@shakira) April 10, 2023
(Feature Image Credit: Shelly Wall/Shutterstock)
