When talking about Shakira, we cannot ignore this former WAG when she was accused of not paying 14.5 million euros in income tax in Spain between 2012 and 2014. The Spanish tax authorities believe that Shakira resided in Spain for more than 6 months. Therefore, the former WAG with two children is responsible for paying personal income tax. To prove that Shakira resided in Spain during the above mentioned period, the prosecution summoned 117 witnesses, including her hairdresser, dance teacher, therapist, gynecologist and driver.
Shakira then reached a deal to avoid trial by admitting to tax fraud and accepting a three-year prison sentence as recommended by the prosecutor, which she will not have to serve because she has no previous convictions. The deal, signed by Shakira’s lawyers, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the Bar at the Barcelona Court, saw the singer pay half of the tax debt, which is around €7.3 million. Shakira also agreed to pay another €438,000 fine to avoid a three-year prison sentence.
After a period of silence, Shakira has spoken out to affirm that she did so to protect her children, not because she was cowardly or truly guilty. In a letter published in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo recently, the singer of the famous song “Hips don’t lie” stated: “I need you to know that I made decisions to protect my children, and to continue my life. Not because I was cowardly or guilty. From the beginning, I knew that my problem with the Spanish tax authorities was deliberately confused and manipulated with a completely different purpose than the nature of the matter.”
Shakira also blamed sexism for her situation. “If there was an American singer who loved a Spanish woman and visited her regularly, I am sure things would not have become as noisy as what happened to me,” Shakira added. Shakira also stressed that she was simply a victim of a campaign by the Spanish tax authorities.
Along with that, Shakira mentioned having a problem from the pain of being betrayed by Pique to have an affair with Clara Chia. Shakira mentioned the “hell” she went through from the breakup with Pique. “I felt like someone had cut a hole in my chest, and everyone could see through me. The pain I felt was probably the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life, and sometimes it made me not want to do anything,” Shakira said bitterly, “What can I tell you? I’m not interested in men anymore after everything that happened to me. I’m an artist, but I’m also a woman.”
