After nearly a decade of financial legal battles in court, Colombian pop star Shakira has finally walked free from the Spanish court after she was accused of tax fraud.
Shakira said the decision marked the end of “brutal public targeting and sleepless nights” that affected her and her family. The case had shadowed her career since 2018, accusing her of the unpaid taxes between 2012 and 2014.
“After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting , orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being the National High Court has finally set the records straight,” Shakira said
Though the ruling from the Madrid- based court stated she was not a resident of the country during that time in 2011, Spanish authorities insisted she lived in Barcelona with then-partner Gerard Pique while officially registered in the Bahamas.
The ruling not only clears her wrongdoing but has ordered Spain’s treasury to reimburse her more than 55 million euros in wrongly imposed fines, taxes and interest.
In a statement, she said her “name and public image” had been used to damage her reputation and career, expressing relief that justice has been prevailed.
To be considered a tax resident in Spain, , one must spend more than 183 days in the country, but Shakira spent 163 days in Spain.
Shakira and her children shifted to Miami in 2023.Shakira is known for her album “Whenever, Wherever” and the 2010 World Cup song “Waka Waka.”
