shakira performingShakira usually flies under the radar, at least here in the States. Meaning we don't hear about her doing anything wacky or risque a la Britney Spears or Kim Kardashian. Heck no! She's a class act. But the latest Shaki story to hit the news cycle has made it seem like her blonde dye job (we all know the Colombian beauty is a natural brunette, right?) has gone to her head. The singer shared on Facebook that she had an unfortunate run-in with a sea lion while vacationing in Cape Town, Africa.

As the story goes, she was attempting to photograph a group of the animals and "decided to get a bit closer than all of the other tourists and went down to a rock trying to pet them." Oh no ... you see where this is going, right?

Shaki elaborated:

Suddenly, one of them jumped out of the water so fast and impetuously that it got about one foot away from me, looked me in the eye, roared in fury, and tried to bite me. Everyone there screamed, including me. I was paralysed by fear and couldn't move.

Ack!! Can you imagine!? Thankfully, her brother jumped in and swept her to safety, but doh, the damage had already been done. Shaki's touristy faux pas kinda makes her come off as at least a bit dim ... but that is so far from the truth!

When Shakira made her U.S. premiere, she had already been a big star in the Latin world for years. She was known for writing her own songs, creating her own "brand of music," and starting her own charity in Colombia that created special schools for poor children. In more recent years, she's been involved with tons of other charities and politically active, even having met with President Obama to discuss early childhood development.

In other words ... the woman is no dumb pop tart. So it kinda pains me to see her come off as one for one poor judgment call. Instead, maybe it just makes her more relatable, down-to-earth, and hey, brave for being so honest with her fans about her flub-up! So let's not hold this one silly mistake against her, and hopefully next time, she'll be a bit more cautious around potentially dangerous wildlife. 

What was your reaction to Shaki's sea lion story? Do you think it makes her come off as ditzy or just having made one poor judgment call?

 

Image via oouinouin/Flickr