A heavily pregnant Shakira stepped out on Monday night to attend the launch of At Wind And At Random, a book written by her father, William Mebarak. Dressed in a black sparkly top, tight leggings and high heeled boots, Shakira was the centre of attention as she arrived at the presentation, which took place in Barcelona. And accompanying the expectant star was her boyfriend of two years, footballer Gerard Pique.
The 25-year-old, who plays as a centre-back for FC Barcelona, kept his look casual, wearing grey jeans with a matching shirt and t-shirt. When the presentation was over, 35-year-old Shak - who wrote the foreword for the book - took to the stage and gushed about her dad, who is 81."In Barranquilla my dad isn't Shakira's father but rather I'm the daughter of William, and he's the best father life could possibly have given me. My cornerstone, my best friend, not only in my career but in my life," the singer said. It was a real family affair at the launch as Shakira's mother Nidia Ripoll and brother Tonino were there. Also at the presentation were Gerard's parents, Joan and Montserrat Piqué Bernabeu and the president of the foundation Pies Descalzos, which is headed by the Colombian singer.Last month, Gerard took to Twitter to announce the birth of their baby boy. But while some fans rushed to offer their congratulations to the couple, others accussed him of trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
The footballer had posted the happy news on Spain's Day of the Holy Innocents, which is similar to April Fool's Day. And with no official confirmation coming from representatives, or any acknowledgement on Shakira's Twitter page, it appeared the announcement was a ruse. The 35-year-old Grammy winner revealed in September that she and her sportsman beau were "happily awaiting the arrival of our first baby". She later revealed the new baby is a little boy.
Gerard recently revealed during a radio interview that the couple had not decided what to call their firstborn. "Concerning the name, we just haven't been able to decide," he said. "There are ridiculous names, like Ulisito, that came out of the press' need to report nonsense. There was also Biel, which we like, but I don't think it will be that one either, or Gerard. We'll see." Shakira and Gerard have been dating for two years, and the Colombian star says he is the "best thing" that has ever happened to her. She said: "This man is the best thing that could have happened in my life. And now the baby!"She was in a relationship with Antonio de La Rua, the son of former Argentinian President Fernando de la Rua, for more than a decade. They split in 2010.