Shakira has been embroiled in an eight-year legal battle after Spanish authorities accused her of tax fraud in 2018. Now, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer has been acquitted and is owed an enormous reimbursement from the federal government. Nevertheless, within the meantime, she stays in legal limbo.
Based on Variety, Spain’s high court acquitted Skakira of tax fraud in May 2026. Following the investigation, the court ordered the country’s treasury to issue a refund of virtually $65 million to the 49-year-old, including interest. This got here because the court ruled that the funds had been improperly collected from the singer.
Regarding the acquittal, the court found that the federal government agency didn’t prove that Shakira spent 183 days within the country in 2011. Had this been the case, she would have been deemed a resident and required to pay personal income tax. Nevertheless, she as a substitute spent only 163 days in Spain that financial yr.
In the interim, Shakira stays in limbo because the nation’s tax agency has vowed to appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court. Moreover, they’ll not remit funds to the icon until the ultimate ruling is issued.
Shakira Issued A Statement Following Tax Fraud Acquittal
Following the news of her acquittal, Shakira issued a press release, calling the eight-year court battle “brutal” and accusing the investigation of being an try and harm her repute.
She said, “After greater than eight years of tolerating brutal public targeting, orchestrated campaigns to destroy my repute, and sleepless nights that ultimately impacted my health and my family’s well-being, the National High Court has finally set the record straight.”
After that, she noted that the accusation of “fraud” was false and that “the Administration itself could never prove otherwise, just because it wasn’t true.”
From there, she detailed the grooling process, saying, “Yet, for nearly a decade, I used to be treated as guilty. Every step of the method was leaked, distorted, and amplified, using my name and public image to send a threatening message to the remainder of the taxpayers.”
Shakira then said the “narrative crumbles” regarding her legal victory. Ultimately, she dedicated her win to “peculiar residents who’re abused and crushed every single day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence at the price of economic and emotional spoil.”
Fans Are Rallying Around Shakira
Shakira’s legal victory is being celebrated online, especially for her mention of “peculiar residents” accused of comparable financial crimes. One person on X said, “I’m unsure how Shakira could possibly be guilty of anything aside from being one of the crucial beautiful women on earth. In all seriousness, I’m glad this legal nightmare is over.”
Another person said, “That’s a giant win for her. I hope the news of her acquittal is as loud because the news of her charges were.” A distinct person wrote, “The Spanish tax authorities at all times appear to be fishing in troubled waters. They’ll take the cash from anyone who’s not careful. The identical thing happened with James Rodríguez.”
After that, a distinct X user reacted to Shakira’s reimbursement. Based on them, “Wait, $64 million returned? That’s a plot twist even her best hits didn’t see coming… good for her.”
The Singer Previously Settled
Along with being accused of failing to pay taxes for 2011, the Spanish court found that the singer committed the identical offense from 2012 to 2014. Nevertheless, in lieu of a trial, she reached a settlement in November 2023, based on the BBC. Per the agreement, she paid $7 million after being accused of owing $15 million.
She explained her decision to settle in 2024 in a letter published in “El Mundo.” She explained that she did so to guard her children, stating, “I need to depart my children the legacy of a lady who explained her reasons calmly and in her own time, when she considered it essential, not when she was forced to.”
Shakira added, “I would like them to know that I made the choices I made to guard them, to be by their side, and to get on with my life. Not out of cowardice or guilt.”
The Icon Recently Performed For two Million People
Shakira became the most recent artist to headline Copacabana on May 2. Based on Reuters, the long-lasting singer also became the latest performer to attract a 2 million-person audience, following Lady Gaga in 2025.
She addressed the gang, saying, “Brazil, I like you. It’s magical to see thousands and thousands of souls together, able to sing, feel, dance, and remind the world of what really matters.” Shakira performed hits equivalent to “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Antologia,” and “Waka Waka.”
Moreover, based on Billboard, the music legend will perform in the course of the halftime on the 2026 World Cup. Madonna and BTS can even take the stage.