Colombian pop star Shakira gave birth to a baby boy in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday.
Shakira announced the birth on her website in a statement published in English, Spanish and Catalán:
We are happy to announce the birth of Milan Piqué Mebarak, son of Shakira Mebarak and Gerard Piqué, born January 22nd at 9:36pm, in Barcelona, Spain.
The name Milan (pronounced MEE-lahn), means dear, loving and gracious in Slavic; in Ancient Roman, eager and laborious; and in Sanskrit, unification.
The statement added that the newborn "became a member of FC Barcelona at birth" like his father, soccer star Gerard Piqué.
A flurry of reports in the Spanish-language media appeared prior to the singer's announcement, citing a tweet by the charitable organization run by Shakira, the Fundación Pies Descalzos reading "The children and the team at Fundación Pies Descalzos are happy for Milan's birth!! We love you Shakira."
The tweet did not appear when HuffPost checked the foundation's Twitter feed, but Mexican daily El Universal posted a screenshot of the message.
Shakira asked her fans on Tuesday to pray for her and her baby, shortly before giving birth at the Teknon Hospital, where she has been accompanied by her boyfriend Gerard Piqué, her parents and some family members.
A source close to the couple told HuffPost Voces that at the request of the singer, the team assisting her gynecologist Carlota Garcia-Valdecasas, should be composed only of women and all those who participate in the event had to sign a confidentiality agreement to avoid any leakage and disclosure of information or photos.
"Everything was organized, down to the smallest detail," the source told HuffPost Voces. "Though Shakira has always asked to have a natural childbirth, it is quite possible that, because of the enormous size of the baby, it could be a C-section. That is why within the medical team, they also have a plastic surgeon to assist her."
Several media outlets reported Tuesday morning that Piqué had announced through his Instagram account that his son would be born today. Later, however, the news agency EFE clarified that it was a fake account.
Last week the couple released a photo posing semi-nude together to invite fans to a special baby shower celebration, which aimed to raise funds for UNICEF, a United Nations program that helps children worldwide and for which the singer has served as an ambassador for many years.
This is a developing story.
Before You Go
