Shakira pays millions, avoids jail in tax fraud case

Pop singer Shakira, who has been in the headlines for almost five years for a tax fraud case, has settled with the Spanish authorities despite facing a lengthy trial. Instead, she agreed to a first-day settlement involving a hefty fine and a suspended sentence, officially ending the threat of a prison sentence that had been hanging over her, TMZ notably reports.

Shakira Settles Tax Fraud Case with Spain, Pays Fine and Avoids Prison | Click to read more https://t.co/tQ1p8FGcd5

— TMZ (@TMZ) November 20, 2023

Shakira was accused of failing to pay around €15 million in taxes to the Spanish government between 2012 and 2014. Shakira agreed to the terms of the settlement reached on Monday, which includes a fine of nearly eight million dollars.

The star said that, although she has consistently denied the tax evasion allegations, she chose to put her family first, expressing the wish to spare her children the pain of seeing their mother entangled in a long legal battle.

Una loba como yo siempre escoge la familia / A she wolf will always choose her family pic.twitter.com/6pEVuIIQVK

— Shakira (@shakira) November 20, 2023

Shakira insists on her innocence, although she has pleaded guilty, claiming that the only reason for her actions was to follow ethical principles and be a good example to her children.

Her earlier statements emphasized her commitment to meeting her financial obligations. She has also accused the Spanish tax authorities of unfairly targeting celebrities like her, in order to drain their finances and disrupt their peace of mind.

Shakira is not out of the woods yet in Spain, as the Spanish authorities have launched a new case against her concerning 6.7 million euros in taxes allegedly evaded, this time in 2018. Stay tuned!