Shakira acquitted of tax fraud in Spain
Music superstar Shakira was acquitted of tax fraud in a new ruling released Monday by Spain's national court.
The court ordered Spanish authorities to repay Shakira more than $60 million from the yearslong legal battle.
The ruling was based on an appeal from Shakira's legal team, which argued the Grammy winner was not a full-time resident of Spain in 2011 and therefore did not owe taxes to the government for that year.
The court ruled that Shakira spent 163 days in Spain that year, not the minimum 183 days required under Spanish law to pay income taxes. The court also said the tax agency failed to prove that Shakira "maintained her center of economic interests in Spain, or that she had family ties with residents in the country."
Spain's Ministry of Justice said Monday it plans to appeal the court's ruling, which was issued in April and announced publicly Monday.
In a statement, Shakira applauded the court for what she described as a ruling that "set the record straight."
"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 record straight," Shakira said in a statement Monday to ABC News. "There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn't true."
Shakira's attorney, José Luis Prada, also praised the ruling, telling ABC News in a statement, "This resolution comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a highly flawed administrative practice."
"Shakira had the strength and resources to see this through to the end, but this modus operandi suffocates many ordinary taxpayers who do not have the means to defend themselves," the statement continued. "For this reason, it is an immense relief and a source of deep pride to witness the rigor and independence of our courts. It comforts us to see that, when faced with unacceptable administrative stances, we can rely on a justice system that truly works and ensures the rule of law."
Shakira, a mom of 2, moved to Miami in 2023, one year after she and her boyfriend of more than one decade, Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, ended their relationship.
That same year, in 2023, Shakira reached a deal with Spanish prosecutors on a separate case in which she faced six counts of tax fraud stemming from the years 2012 to 2014.
On the opening day of her trial, Shakira accepted an agreement with prosecutors and received a suspended three-year sentence and was ordered to pay over $8 million in fines and unpaid taxes and interest, according to The Associated Press.
The "Hips Don't Lie" singer said in a statement at the time that she settled the case in order to move forward.
"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 at the time, according to the AP. "I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career."
