Shakira Opens Up About ‘Difficult’ Split From Gerard Pique: Shakira, who gained international recognition for songs like “Hips Don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Wherever,” won three Grammys and appeared at the 2020 Super Bowl. She has been accused of multimillion-dollar tax evasion in Spain for almost four years, a claim she vigorously denies.
On Wednesday, the Colombian pop artist told Elle that the prosecution’s assertion that she met the residency requirement for paying taxes by spending 183 days in Spain from 2012 to 2014 was false. After claiming the Bahamas as her domicile, she was charged and now faces up to eight years in prison.
“I have to fight for what I believe,” she told Elle, “because these are false accusations. First, I didn’t spend 183 days per year at that time. I was busy fulfilling my professional commitments around the world. Second, I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit.”
Spanish authorities first charged Shakira in December 2018 with failing to pay 14.5 million euros in taxes. Judge Marco Juberas concluded that there was “sufficient evidence of wrongdoing” after a nearly three-year investigation and advised that her case proceeds to trial.
Shakira, correctly referred to as “one of the four top tax specialist organizations in the world,” guided her during her tax files, the singer said to Elle. Because she “was certain that I was doing things appropriately,” she said. She rejected a plea agreement and chose to go to trial instead.
Do you know why Shakira is in Jail?
- Headlines about the famous Colombian icon Shakira going to Jail broke out on the internet. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll has six severe charges against her after failing to pay around $15 million in taxes to the Spanish government. Click here to read full details…
Shakira made remarks during what she described as “the worst life,” which included other issues, including her acrimonious split from soccer player Gerard Piqué. She claimed that Piqué’s nationality had unintentionally made her legal struggles harder.
Shakira is finally speaking out about her "incredibly difficult" shock split from partner of 10 years Gerard Piqué. https://t.co/jwoZfRV5Pm
— ExtraTV (@extratv) September 21, 2022
“While Gerard and I were dating, I was on a world tour,” she told Elle. “I spent more than 240 days outside of Spain, so there was no way I qualified as a resident. The Spanish tax authorities saw that I was dating a Spanish citizen and started to drool.”
She continued: “It’s clear they wanted to go after that money no matter what. Even for the next few years, I traveled the world, working nonstop. … But they still came after me.”
The tax fratraveledo trial date is yet, but the troubled singer has some famous friends who will cheer her up till then. Shakira seems to have no shortage of support from rapper Will.i.am sending her prayers to Coldplay’s Chris Martin, frequently checking in.