Celebrity News May 18, 2026
Shakira Will Receive $70 Million After Tax Fraud Case Acquittal
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for isima
Shakira has been acquitted by the Spanish High Court of tax fraud related to her 2011 income.
Reuters reports that the Spanish High Court overturned a $64-million fine imposed in 2021 by the Spanish tax agency.
The Spanish High Court argued that there wasn’t enough proof that Shakira spent 183 days in Spain in 2011, which would have made her a resident and liable for income tax. The court ruled that she only spent 163 days.
According to Shakira’s rep, the Spanish government must return about $70 million to the singer.
After the ruling, Shakira said in a statement, "After more than eight years of enduring brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my reputation, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family's well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight."
"There was never any fraud, and the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, simply because it wasn't true," she insisted. "Yet, for nearly a decade, I was treated as guilty."
Shakira also said she hopes the ruling "serves the thousands of ordinary citizens who are abused and crushed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the cost of economic and emotional ruin.”
Shakira’s lawyer José Luis Prada added, "This resolution comes after an eight-year ordeal that has taken an unacceptable toll, reflecting a highly flawed administrative practice.”
Prada went on, "Shakira had the strength and resources to see this through to the end, but this modus operandi suffocates many ordinary taxpayers who do not have the means to defend themselves. For this reason, it is an immense relief and a source of deep pride to witness the rigor and independence of our courts.”
"It comforts us to see that, when faced with unacceptable administrative stances, we can rely on a justice system that truly works and ensures the rule of law,” Prada emphasized.
In 2018, the icon was charged with failing to pay 14.5 million euros in taxes to the Spanish government from 2012-2014. Five years later, she reached a settlement and agreed to fork over $7.5 million in fines for the sake of her kids.
A year after the settlement, prosecutors agreed to drop the tax fraud charges relating to her 2018 income.
She said, "While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favor, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal well-being in this fight.”
