13 July 2023 , 23:22
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Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler shared a three-hour dinner with singer-songwriter Shakira in London on Wednesday night after she attended one of his NBA Finals games last month.
Their meeting at Novikov Restaurant & Bar has prompted rumours the celebrities are now dating, according to the Daily Mail. Still, Butler has not officially announced a split from Kaitlin Nowak, the mother of his daughter Rylee. Shakira, reportedly single for the past year, has also been linked with Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton and actor Tom Cruise.
Shakira announced her split from longtime boyfriend and Barcelona player Gerard Pique in June 2022. They have two children together but have sniped back and forth in the media following their breakup, with the singer putting thinly-veiled disses to Pique in her latest album and the football player answering back through various podcasts.
In February, Shakira posted a TikTok video sampling SZA song "Kill Bill" — specifically the part of the song that goes, "I might kill my ex, not the best idea. His new girlfriend's next, how'd I get here? I might kill my ex, I still love him, though. Rather be in jail than alone." Shakira mouthed the words in the video while mopping a floor.
Shakira has blamed Pique for not committing to fatherhood responsibilities during his career as a football player. She contends she uprooted her life to support his time at Barcelona but did not see her acts reciprocated.
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"One of the two had to make that effort and that sacrifice [to care for our kids]," Shakira said last September. "And I did it. I put my career in second gear and I came to Spain, to support him so he could play football and win title. And it was a sacrifice of love. Thanks to that, my kids were able to have a present mom, and I have this amazing bond with them that is unbreakable and that sustains us. You know, that is it. That's all I can say."
Meanwhile, Butler had a child with Nowak in 2019 and has discussed the struggles of trying to build a family as a famous person. "I think one of the hardest things about being a celebrity is that you can't go be a parent from time to time," he said. "I hate that I can't take my daughter to the zoo because everyone wants to talk basketball or take a photo."
Butler is notoriously committed to his NBA career, at times butting heads with team-mates he perceives to be less devoted than him to winning games. He forced his way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves after infamously spiting the starters in a practice scrimmage by competing against them with third-string players. The forward reportedly won the game handily.
"Oh, I was dominating, but I only shot the ball once," Butler told the Ringer. "Dimes, boom, boom, boom. Steals, blocks. I only shot the ball one time."
In Miami, Butler has found a home that suits him. He's helped the Heat to the NBA Finals twice, most recently losing there in five games to the Denver Nuggets.