Why is Shakira Going to Prison: Is She Going to Prison for 8 Years?
Shakira, one of the most famous (if not THE most famous) pop stars of all time, has enchanted almost anyone and everyone who has had the chance to listen to her voice. But the global icon, along with the rest of the world as well, was in shock to know that she was being charged with a crime and being asked to stand trial, which would not only put a serious dent in her professional career but would also be a serious blow to her normal personal life. If you just heard about this bizarre and shocking news, you won’t be the only one whose head is exploding with questions. Questions like “Why is Shakira going to prison?”, “Is she really going to prison for 8 years?” and “Is she in prison already?” Well, don’t worry because we’re here to answer all of your queries regarding her case. Stay with us till the end of the article to find out!
Shakira’s Personal Life
Before we get to how and why Shakira is going to prison, let’s discuss a bit of her personal life since it has a little connection with her ongoing trial and accusations.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born in Barranquilla on 2nd February 1977, where she spent her early childhood as well. She started her singing career by debuting at the young age of 13, and with a voice like hers, no wonder she also goes by the “Queen of Latin Music.”
In 2000, she entered a relationship with an Argentine lawyer, Antonio de la Rúa. Although their relationship went great for 10 years, the couple mutually decided to take a temporary break, which eventually turned into a permanent one.
2010 was one of the most important years for Shakira, both on a personal and professional basis. Her song Waka Waka, arguably one of the best FIFA world cup songs of all time, not only rocketed her career to sky-high heights but was also the reason behind major developments in her personal life. At the set of the song, she met Gerard Pique, a Spanish football player who was at the peak of his game, both on the pitch and off the pitch. The pair got close and officially admitted the start of the relationship in 2011.
Although Shakira maintained her primary residence in the Bahamas, she spent a lot of time with Pique in Barcelona, Spain, until she officially moved in with him and became a Spanish resident. The couple had 2 kids, both sons, during that time and had a great romantic life together. Sadly, things didn’t work out for them eventually, and when Pique got caught cheating, Shakira called it quits, after which she took her sons and moved to Miami.
Shakira’s Trial
Now that we know the major details of her life, we can finally address the elephant in the room: why is Shakira going to prison?
The main charges:
In 2018, the Spanish government made the first accusations against Shakira of defrauding the country and tax evasion of nearly 14.5 million euros, which is about 16 million dollars or 12.1 million pounds. According to the prosecutors, Shakira was a resident of Barcelona, Spain, from 2012 to 2014, and her stay in Spain during this period makes her legally binding to pay a specific amount of tax.
The crux behind this scenario is based on the law that if you spend more than 183 days of the total 365 days in a year in the country, you qualify as a Spanish resident and are obligated to pay the same amount of tax. Three different government entities have accused Shakira of six separate fiscal crimes that stem from the same issue that the pop star spent more than 183 days during that period and was officially a Spanish resident.
It took 3 years for the state to formally complete its investigation and file a case against the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer, which was sufficiently detailed and thorough in convincing the judge that there was “sufficient evidence of criminality”. According to the prosecutors, not only did Shakira avoid paying taxes, but she also used shell companies to hide and conceal her assets. In addition, the global icon was also charged with using her name on forms intentionally only in those countries that are considered tax havens to hide her earnings.
Although the charges seem pretty hefty, Shakira isn’t the only celebrity that has had a tax evasion case thrown at them. If you’re a football fan along with a Shakira fanatic, you might already know that Messi and Ronaldo, two of the most decorated players in football history, were also charged with tax evasion and fraud cases. In 2017, Lionel Messi and his father were charged with tax evasion of 4.1 million euros which they owed to the Spanish government. Both of them pleaded guilty, after which they were given a sentence of 2 years in prison, which was reduced to fines only. The same was the case with Cristiano Ronaldo, who was charged with tax evasion in 2019 and was fined 19 million euros as a punishment.
In July 2021, Shakira also had the same choice; to accept the plea, plead guilty, reduce the prison sentence to 2 years, or even only pay a specified amount of fine, and walk free.
Shakira and her legal team’s response:
After hearing about the case, Shakira and her legal team went for an appeal in May 2022, but the court dismissed it on the grounds that the prosecutors and court had enough evidence to move forward. But when Shakira was given the choice of accepting the settlement, she rejected it, having full faith in her innocence and taking the case to trial.
Shakira and her legal team’s basic argument is countering the indictment’s basic crux. According to the law, Shakira owes the Spanish government 14.5 million euros for living for more than 183 days in Spain from 2012–2014. But the Colombian singer is adamant that that was not the case, as she was a primary resident of the Bahamas and only moved in with his boyfriend Pique in Barcelona in 2015, which is why she should’ve been exempted from having to pay any Spanish income tax. According to her publicists, Shakira has always been vigilant and thorough when it comes to tax work and paid all that she owed. During an interview, they quoted that “She never exceeded the 183 days of presence in Spain required to be a tax resident,” and only lived there sporadically.
Shakira herself has been quite vocal about this case as well. During an interview with Elle magazine, she said that she believes these accusations to be false. You’d expect a pop star of her caliber and fame to be traveling around the world, which is what she did to “fulfill her professional commitments.” Moreover, she also claims that she has paid everything that she owes to the government during her residency in Spain and has been nothing but a lawful citizen. This claim can also be backed by the fact that Shakira never had any sort of tax problems in any of the other jurisdictions. She also added that she hired one of the best tax specialist firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers so that she could correctly and transparently do her tax work from the very first day. For these reasons, Shakira is “confident in her innocence”.
If you ask the prosecutors, “Why is Shakira going to prison?”, they’d reply with all the details of her tax evasion and fraud and the substantial amount of money that she owes to the Spanish government. If you ask her representatives, “Why is Shakira going to prison?”, they’d say that she isn’t since she’s innocent, and it’s nothing but an unethical and unacceptable scheme to sway the public opinion and tarnish and damage the singer’s reputation, both at a professional and personal level.
What’s the Current Situation?
So, what’s the current situation? Is she really going to prison for 8 years?
After Shakira and her legal team rejected the settlement, they took the case to trial. While you’re here wondering, “Why is Shakira going to prison?” the prosecutors are wondering, “Why is Shakira going to prison- ONLY?” If Shakira loses the trial and is proven guilty, not only will she have to spend 8 years and 2 months in jail, but she’ll also have to pay a whopping fine of 23 million euros.
Shakira’s trial is set to start on the 20th of November and will last a span of 12 sessions, ending on the 14th of December. Shakira’s ex-husband Pique will most likely not be asked to testify during the case. Although Shakira just arrived at her new home in Miami to spend some quality time with her sons, she will be forced to leave for Barcelona only after 5 days to fulfill the prerequisites of the trial and make necessary arrangements. So, based on the current situation, only time can answer the question, “Is she really going to prison for 8 years?”
Conclusion
We sincerely hope that we’ve cleared all your queries regarding Shakira’s tax evasion and fraud case and given you all the necessary details so that next time someone else at a family gathering or a friends hangout asks you “Why is Shakira going to prison?” or “Is she really going to prison for 8 years?,” you’ll be able to answer all of their questions as well. Or, you can even play your part in clearing the widely spread misinformation on TikTok that Shakira’s already in jail “giving free concerts behind bars.”
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