Is the 34-year-old Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler dating Shakira?
We're not sure because Butler is mum about Shakira, saying that she's “an incredible human being and an incredible talent,” in a new Rolling Stones interview. He also said that just because they are friends — and the fact that she lives in Miami and her sons with ex Gerard Pique, Milan and Sasha, are big basketball fans — doesn't mean that they're dating.
He added, “Just because people hang out doesn’t mean anybody’s dating. But it gives everybody something to talk about, so y’all take it and y’all run with it. She’s very, very cool and that’s all I got!”
Previous reports claimed that they were getting to know each other and “growing closer,” per Us Weekly. The outlet's source said that the two have “been getting progressively closer” and that “Jimmy makes Shakira smile, and she's really enjoying getting to know him on a deeper level.”
The potential romance started after Shakira shared a video of herself cheering for Butler's Heat during their playoff game against the Boston Celtics in May. Miami beat Boston in the contest, 128-102. Butler then “liked” an Instagram video of her acoustic performance.
Before rumors of their romance started, Shakira has been in a much-publicized shading of her ex Gerard Pique and his new girlfriend. Her latest video, “El Jefe,” featured Pique's former nanny, Lily Melgar, who he allegedly fired without compensation after she told Shakira of his infidelity. While the track, which also starred the band Fuerza Regida, is about the exploitation of the working class, the video ends with Melgar looking straight into the camera as Shakira mentions her name in the song.