Shakira, a pop star who has maintained her innocence for nearly five years, struck a last-minute deal to avoid the risk of going to prison on the opening day of her tax fraud trial in Barcelona. According to the agreement reached with prosecutors, Shakira acknowledged six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.
Under the deal, Shakira is to receive a suspended three-year sentence and a fine of 7 million euros ($7.6 million). The trial, which would have included more than 100 witnesses over the following weeks, was instead called off after just eight minutes.
The case hinged on where Shakira, now 46, lived during that period, as prosecutors in Barcelona alleged that the Colombian singer spent more than half of that period in Spain and therefore should have paid taxes on her worldwide income in the country, even though her official residence was still in the Bahamas. Tax rates are much lower in the Bahamas than in Spain.
Shakira said in a statement provided by her public relations firm that she had made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of her kids at heart, “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career.”
Shakira turned down a deal offered to her by prosecutors to settle her case in July 2022, saying she “believes in her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law.” Shakira, named in the “Paradise Papers” leaks that detailed the offshore tax arrangements of numerous high-profile individuals, previously said she had already paid all that she owed and an additional 3 million euros (about $3.2 million) in interest.
In a separate investigation, Spanish state prosecutors charged Shakira in September with alleged evasion of 6.7 million euros in tax on her 2018 income. They accused her of using an offshore company based in a tax haven to avoid paying the tax.
Evidently, the legal matters are becoming more complex and serious for Shakira. However, her fans continue to stand by her through the good and bad times, especially after her triumph at the Latin Grammy Awards gala in Seville, where she thanked her supporters in Spain for their unwavering loyalty. The journey ahead for Shakira remains unclear, but with the support of her fans and her determination to focus on the future, it seems that she will navigate through these challenges successfully.
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AP videojournalists Renata Brito and Hernán Muñoz contributed to this report.
