Shakira criticizes Spanish authorities after settling $15 million tax fraud case

Shakira has criticized Spanish authorities after settling her $15 million tax fraud case.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer opened up about her legal battle and admitted what made her most angry about the tax fraud case.

“The most frustrating thing was seeing that a state institution seemed more interested in publicly burning me at the stake than listening to my reasons,” Shakira told Spanish newspaper El Mundo, according to People magazine.

SHAKIRA SCORES BIG VICTORY IN FIGHT AGAINST TAX EVASION DAYS AFTER MET GALA DEBUT

Shakira has spoken out about her frustrations with Spanish authorities and accused them of “publicly burning me at the stake.” (Getty Images)

The Colombian music star said she agreed to settle her multi-million dollar tax evasion battle to “protect” her two young sons.

“I want to leave my children the legacy of a woman who explained her reasons calmly and at her own pace, when she felt it was necessary, and not when she was forced to,” Shakira said.

“The most frustrating thing was that a state institution seemed more interested in publicly burning me at the stake than listening to my reasons.”

—Shakira

“I want them to know that I made these decisions to protect them, to be by their side and to move on with my life. Not out of cowardice or guilt.”

She shares two children, Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9, with ex Gerard Piqué.

SHAKIRA CHARGED WITH TAX FRAUD FOR SECOND TIME, OWES SPANISH GOVERNMENT $7.1 MILLION IN TAXES: PROSECUTORS

Shakira settled a multi-million dollar tax fraud lawsuit in Barcelona, ​​Spain in November 2023. (Getty Images)

Shakira continued: “They wanted to make the public believe that I had not paid my taxes, when in reality I paid much more than I should have.” She claimed that she only decided to live in Spain in 2015 and that when she did, the authorities “immediately tried to charge” her for taxes from the last 10 years.

“What seemed like a polite way to formalize my situation turned out to be a trap,” she said. “A person who spends their time traveling the world cannot intend to be a tax resident in a place simply because the person they are in a relationship with at the time lives there.”

She also accused the Spanish tax authorities of “intimidating people, threatening them with prison, endangering the peace of mind of our children and pressuring us to crack.”

“Some may wonder why I am bothering to make these statements now,” she said. The first reason is related to my children. We live in an era marked by an arrogant tone on the part of the State, but intimidation is not the same as giving reasons. You don’t solve problems by burning a public figure at the stake every year as if it were an Inquisition trial to recover lost prestige.”

Shakira and Gerard Piqué never officially married, but were together for years. (Getty Images)

She added: “No one can write my story for me. As with my songs, I sing to live in peace again, to turn the page.”

Shakira was charged with having to pay 6.7 million euros ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 earnings. The Spanish government claimed Shakira used an offshore company to evade paying the money, but the charges were dropped in May.

In November, she reached a settlement with the Spanish government over a tax evasion case. According to prosecutors, the Colombian singer lived in Barcelona for more than half of the time between 2012 and 2014 and racked up a tax bill of $15.4 million.

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Shakira has been accused of owing €6.7 million ($7.2 million) in taxes on her 2018 earnings. (John Parra/WireImage)

The “Whenever, Wherever” singer claimed that her official residence was in the Bahamas at the time, meaning she did not owe the Spanish government those taxes.

On the first day of the trial, Shakira chose to accept a deal despite her decision to decline a previous offer.

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Shakira shares two children, Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9, with ex Gerard Piqué. (Photo by Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images for Latin Recording Academy)

Shakira was fined €7 million ($7.6 million) in addition to a three-year suspended sentence. The musician was also fined an additional €432,000 ($472,000).

If convicted, she could have spent eight years in prison and been fined more than $26 million.

“While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my attorneys believed would have ruled in my favor, I made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interests of my children at heart, who do not want to see their mother sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight,” Shakira’s legal team told Fox News Digital at the time.

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Lauryn Overhultz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.