Over the past few years, Shakira has had a dark cloud hanging over her: a tax fraud case in Spain. The opening day of the trial took place in Barcelona today (November 20), and as the Associated Press reports, Shakira accepted a last-minute deal with prosecutors.
Shakira acknowledged the six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government 14.5 million euros (about $15.8 million) in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Per the deal, she is set to receive a suspended three-year sentence and pay a fine of 7.3 million euros (about $8 million), as well as a fine of 432,000 euros (about $472,000) in exchange for the suspended sentence. The trial ended after just eight minutes.
Previously, prosecutors said they would seek an eight-year prison sentence and a fine of 24 million euros ($26 million).
In a statement released through a representative, Shakira explained her reasoning for settling, saying, “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. I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love, my kids, and all the opportunities to come in my career.”
