Shakira should serve a sentence of just over eight years in connection with a case of alleged tax fraud, prosecutors in Spain have argued.
Per a report from the Associated Press, prosecutors said Friday they would request a court to sentence the Super Bowl IV Halftime Show co-headliner to eight years and two months behind bars if convicted. Notably, a trial date has not been announced.
In May, a court dismissed Shakira’s appeal in the case, which first became public knowledge in late 2018 when it was reported that she had been accused of failing to pay the equivalent of $15.5 million in taxes related to the years 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The chief issue at the center of the years-long case is the status of Shakira’s residence during the years in question. While prosecutors have alleged that Shakira spent the majority of those years in Spain, she has disputed this. Her reps said earlier this week, per Reuters, that the case itself marks a “total violation of her rights.”
That statement was issued amid word that the “Te Felicito” singer’s team had turned down a proposed settlement in connection with the case, with reps arguing that she had previously paid what she was alleged to have owed.
In June, headlines began stacking up over confirmation that Shakira and football star Gerard Piqué had decided to go their separate ways.
“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the now-former couple, who had two children together, said in a joint statement to People at the time. “We ask for privacy at this moment for the well-being of our children, who are our maximum priority. Thank you in advance for your understanding and respect.”
This week, Shakira released an alternate version of the official video for her 2021 single “Don’t Wait Up,” directed by Ivan Monagas. See that below.
