Shakira & Pique: We're Not Being Blackmailed Over Sex Tape

Shakira and her soccer superstar boyfriend Gerard Pique claim they are NOT being extorted over an alleged sex tape ... despite reports they're at the center of a blackmail plot.

The famous couple were reportedly being shaken down by a former employee who had gotten their hands on some homemade "erotic content" of the two ... and wanted a "big sum of money" in return.

But a rep for Pique says it's all BS -- claiming there's no such plot.

The report comes after another huge soccer star -- Karim Benzema -- was arrested in France for allegedly blackmailing a teammate over a sex tape.