Shakira won’t take a plea bargain. Instead, she’ll appear in court on her own. According to Reuters, Shakira, 45, is charged by Spanish prosecutors with cheating the government out of 14.5 million euros ($15 million) in taxes while residing in Spain from 2012 to 2014. She turned down a settlement offer from the prosecutor’s office earlier this week. According to Reuters, she asserts that she was not a resident of Spain at the time.
According to the document, which was obtained by Reuters, Shakira was “ordinarily resident in Spain between 2012 and 2014 and in May 2012 bought a house in Barcelona which became a family home for herself, her partner [Gerard Piqué] and their son [Milan Piqué] born in Spain in 2013.” According to Billboard, pop singer Shakira had the Bahamas listed as her official residence at the time. If she is found guilty, the prosecution is requesting an eight-year prison term as well as a $23.5 million fine.
There is no definite date for the trial. According to a representative for the artist, Shakira “is fully confident of her innocence” and feels as though her rights have been completely violated in this case. Additionally, she “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law,” says the PR agency Llorente y Cuenca, according to Billboard.
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Shakira’s circumstance is similar to what other Spanish soccer players have gone through in the past. According to the BBC, Lionel Messi received a 21-month prison term while a member of FC Barcelona after being found guilty of defrauding Spain of €4.1 million between 2007 and 2009. However, Messi was never anticipated to spend a day in jail because probation may be used to fulfil prison sentences of up to two years in Spain.
After 11 years of marriage, Shakira, 35, and Gerard, announced their separation approximately two months ago. In a statement issued by Shakira’s PR company, the pair expressed their grief at having to confirm their separation. “We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”