Shakira breaks silence over alleged tax fraud case after one year

Shakira spoke out after almost a year of reaching a settlement in an alleged tax fraud case.

On Thursday, September 5, the pop star confessed in a Spanish newspaper, Al Mundo ,that she settled the tax fraud case against herself to protect her children and denied the allegations.

“I did it to protect my children and to get on with my life, not out of cowardice or guilt,” the Waka Waka singer told the outlet.

Spanish authorities accused the Colombian singer in 2018 for defrauding the government for more than $15 million in taxes during her layover in Spain from 2012 to 2014.

However, the mother of two has continually denied the allegations and settled the case before going to court.

“In 2011, I wanted my relationship with Gerard Piqué to prosper, who at that time was tied to Spain for work reasons,” Shakira wrote.

“Traveling to Spain created many complications for me because it forced me to be away from my work centers. Whenever I returned, I did so to make the relationship prosper, not because of a ‘vocation to stay.’”

While explaining the reason for settling the case for $7.5 million she wrote, “I want to leave my children the legacy of a woman who explained her reasons calmly and in her own time, when she considered it necessary, not when she was forced to.”

“I need them to know that I made the decisions I made to protect them, to be by their side," she added.

Moreover, the Hips Don’t Lie singer noted that she felt this was the right time to speak up and tell the world her side of the story.