A Spanish court has acquitted Shakira of tax evasion and will now return €55 million to the singer.
49-year-old singer Shakira has appealed a court ruling in a Spanish tax evasion case, in which she previously paid €15 million, and won. Now, the singer will receive her money back with interest, Rolling Stone reports.
A Spanish court ruled in the singer's favor: prosecutors were unable to prove that Shakira spent more than 183 days in her home country and acquired tax residency status. As a result, the singer will now be reimbursed for all previously paid taxes, plus interest and legal costs.
As a reminder, the tax evasion trial began in 2022. At the time, prosecutors were seeking an eight-year prison sentence and a €23 million fine for the singer. The singer refused a plea bargain and continued to fight the case. A year later, Shakira finally accepted the plea agreement and paid the €15 million fine as ordered by the court. However, after the ruling, the singer challenged it and won her appeal.
The singer's online fans are already rejoicing that her bad streak is finally over. After all, in 2022, just as her trial was beginning, Shakira discovered that her boyfriend, footballer Gerard Piqué, who is ten years her junior, was cheating on her. It turned out that the athlete had been spending time with his lover, blogger and model Clara Chia, in the couple's shared home.
As a result, after 11 years of marriage, the singer scandalously separated from her lover, with whom she had two sons: Milan and Sasha. Shakira publicly accused her ex of infidelity and even dedicated a song to it. After a hiatus from her career, Shakira returned to the stage. This year, the singer will perform again at the FIFA World Cup.
Photo: Photo: shakira/Instagram*, Jesse Grant/Getty Images*