When supermodel Irina Shayk started dating Bradley Cooper in mid-2015, their relationship took Hollywood by storm. Both stars were at the peak of their careers at the time, Shayk dominating high fashion runways all over the world and Cooper starring in films such as Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the Oscar-winning A Star Is Born. But, one child and four years later, the couple broke things off.
Now several months removed from her relationship with Cooper, Shayk has decided to open up about her personal life. A candid conversation with British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enniful for the magazine’s March issue led to her discussing, for the first time since their split, her relationship with the actor and the life that they built together.
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Shayk told Enniful that she recognizes that her relationship with Cooper was a mix of both the good and the bad. “We’ve been very lucky to experience what we had with each other,” she said of her ex-partner. “I think in all good relationships you bring your best and your worst – it’s just the nature of a human being. Two great people don’t have to make a good couple.”
She and Cooper, who started dating after ending their previous long-term relationships (Shayk dated soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo for five years, and Cooper broke things off with Chloe Sevigny after a two-year relationship), relied on each other heavily while they were together — so much so that adjusting to life as a single mother to their toddler Lea De Seine has proven to be somewhat difficult.
“Life without B is new ground.” Shayk admitted, “It’s hard to find a balance between being a single mom and being a working woman and provider.”
“Trust me, there are days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know what to do, I’m falling apart’,” she continued.
Still, Shayk's unwavering determination (which she attributes in the interview to her upbringing in the small Russian town of Yemanzhelinsk) has helped her press forward. The supermodel has been flourishing in the time since the split; when she's not hard at work, Shayk is treating herself to Instagram-worthy vacations and celebrating the holidays in style.
Goes to show you that a breakup doesn't have to be the end — sometimes, it's just the beginning.