“Hips Don't Lie, ” Or Do They?

Shakira speaks at the 2017 World Economic Forum. [CC]

“ ... sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I’m going to wake up at some point. But no, it’s real. ”

BY ISABELLE RUTLAND '24, Layout Editor

45-year-old Colombian pop star Shakira is set to go on trial for alleged tax fraud. While the legal case began in 2018, charges against the singer were formalized on July 29 of this past summer. Shakira rejected a settlement from Spanish prosecutors, who have accused her of evading 14.5 million euros (15 million dollars) worth of taxes during her residence in Spain between 2012 and 2014. The singer, known for hits such as “Waka Waka” and “Hips Don’t Lie, ” could face an eightyear prison sentence and a $24 million fine if convicted.

In 2021, a Barcelona judge held that significant evidence exists to suggest that Shakira attempted to conceal her wealth through offshore companies in tax havens, countries that offer foreign investors little to no tax liability. Shakira has denied these accusations in a report submitted by her defense attorneys to the Spanish newspaper El País, claiming that between 2012 and 2014, the singer’s primary residence was in the Bahamas, and she only visited Spain “sporadically. ” However, local media and tax inspectors investigating Shakira’s life in Barcelona found reasonable cause to suspect that the singer had been living in Spain for at least 200 days. Under Spanish law, a person residing in the country for more than 183 days is considered a tax resident.

The confirmation of Shakira’s six charges of tax crimes against the Spanish Public Treasury comes in the wake of her split with Barcelona soccer player Gerard Piqué, with whom she has two children. The 12-year relationship’s end was announced in early June via a statement that gave no indication of the cause of the split, simply relaying the ex 's request for privacy. However, viral videos have circulated of crowds heckling Piqué during Barcelona soccer matches for allegedly having cheated on Shakira. In an interview with ELLE magazine, Shakira described her current circumstances as “[my] darkest hour...sometimes I just feel like this is all a bad dream and that I’m going to wake up at some point. But no, it’s real. ”

Shakira’s public relations team has maintained her innocence amidst the tax fraud trial, going as far as to accuse the case of being “a total violation of her rights. ” This statement was released in July after the possibility of a settlement failed. While a court date has not yet been set, Shakira will inevitably take the stand, even if only to confirm a last-minute deal. However, the singer is reportedly seeking a full acquittal and is poised to fight until the end.