Shakira’s romance with NBA star Jimmy Butler is heating up — and they’re both interested in seeing what the future brings.
“They’ve been getting progressively closer over the past several weeks,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly of Shakira, 46, and Butler, 33. “Jimmy makes Shakira smile, and she’s really enjoying getting to know him on a deeper level.”
The source adds that Shakira is intrigued by Butler because he’s “different from other men” she’s dated in the past. “She appreciates how he takes the lead in the relationship,” the insider tells Us. “He’s the one who makes plans with her, pursues her, and it makes her feel valued.”
The duo are still taking it slow, but Shakira is “definitely open to seeing where things go” in the future. “It’s too early to tell if there’s long-term potential there,” the source continues.
Shakira and Butler, who plays for the Miami Heat, first sparked romance rumors in May when the pop star attended one of his games and shared a video of herself cheering on the team. Days later, Butler “liked” an Instagram video by Shakira that showed her singing and playing guitar.
Two months later, the duo were spotted arriving together at London hotspot Novikov Restaurant & Bar. “They have been out a few times, but things are very new,” an insider told Us at the time. “She feels happy spending time with him.”
Shakira’s new romance comes one year after she split from longtime partner Gerard Piqué, with whom she shares sons Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8. The former couple were together for 12 years before their June 2022 split.
Shortly before the breakup was announced, rumors swirled that Piqué, 36, was having an affair. Neither he nor Shakira ever directly addressed the speculation, but Piqué was spotted packing on the PDA with Clara Chia in August 2022. Piqúe confirmed his romance with Chia, 24, in February.
Earlier this year, Shakira said she was “betrayed” by her ex while her father, William Mebarak Chadid, was hospitalized.
“[My dad] went to Barcelona to console me after I was consumed with sadness because of my separation,” she told People en Español in June. “While he was at Milan’s first communion, he was gravely injured in an accident. Everything happened at once. My home was falling apart. I was finding out through the press that I had been betrayed while my dad was in the ICU.”
Shakira was briefly linked to Tom Cruise after they were photographed hanging out at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in May, but an insider told Us that the twosome’s relationship was purely platonic.
“Shakira had a great time hanging out with Tom at F1 but she has no interest in dating him,” the source said. “He was really nice and she enjoyed his company, but she isn’t focused on dating him or anybody else at the moment. She has a lot on her plate and is focused on her kids and career for now.”
