Shakira Says She Settled $15M Spanish Tax Case to 'Protect' Her Children, Not Because She Was Guilty

Mar. 15, 2025

Shakira at the Met Gala in New York City in May 2024.Photo:Aliah Anderson/Getty Images

Aliah Anderson/Getty Images

More than a year afterreaching a settlementwith Spanish prosecutors over tax fraud allegations,Shakirais speaking out on her contentious legal battle.

The Colombian superstar avoided a possible prison sentence last year when she agreed to pay a $7.5 million fine in her tax fraud case. But in a new letter published in the Spanish newspaperEl Mundo, Shakira, who has denied any wrongdoing, accused Spanish authorities of “burning [her] at the stake” in order to make their agency look better — and said she only agreed to settle for the sake of hertwo young sons, Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, 47, was accused of tax fraud in 2018, with authorities claiming that she lived in Spain between 2012 and 2014, and therefore owed nearly $16 million in unpaid income tax.

Shakira performing at Coachella in April 2024.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Coachella

In her letter, Shakira wrote that 2023 was a difficult year for her, as the media was watching her every move to catch her “breaking down” amid her court trial and herhigh-profile breakupwith longtime partnerGerard Piqué.

“But the most frustrating thing was that a state institution seemed more interested in publicly burning me at the stake than in listening to my reasons. Well, I think the time has come to hit back,” she wrote, before accusing tax authorities of making up a “contrived story” over her taxes to “create obligations that did not exist.”

The star said that when she first started dating Piqué in 2011, she wanted their relationship to “prosper,” and because work obligations kept him tied to Spain, she made efforts to spend time there. Still, she said doing so “created many complications,” as it took her away from her own work.

When she decided to live in Spain as an expatriate in 2015, the tax agency “immediately tried to charge” her for the past 10 years, she wrote.

Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty

“They wanted to make the public believe that I did not pay my taxes, when the truth is that I paid much more than I should have,” she said, referring to the fines she paid voluntarily that she says were “unjustified.”

The Grammy-winning singer said she felt now was the right time to speak up as she felt a need to write her own narrative.

Shakira and ex Gerard Pique in Zurich in January 2012.Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty

Stuart Franklin - FIFA/FIFA via Getty

She added, “No one can write my story for me. Just like with my songs, I sing to live peacefully again, to turn the page.”

Shakira was facing eight years in jail and a fine of more than $26 million if found guilty. She settled the case in court in November 2023 with a hefty fine in a deal that also included a three-year suspended sentence.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE at the time, Shakira maintained her innocence, and said she’d settled the case for her sons, whom she shares with ex Piqué.

“While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favor, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight," she said. “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others.”

source: people.com