Last summer, the Spanish government charged Shakira with tax fraud and sought an eight-year prison sentence for the Colombian pop star, who took up residence in Spain while married to soccer star Gerard Piqué. She publicly denied the charges, but the case remains ongoing. Now the Spaniards have presented Shakira with a second round of tax evasion charges.
As the Associated Press explains, last year's case centered on an alleged €14.5 million ($15.4 million) that went unpaid between 2012-2014. The government argues that Shakira spent more than half of those years in Spain despite maintaining her official residence in the Bahamas, therefore she owes taxes to Spain. That case is set to be tried in Barcelona starting on Nov. 20. Last July, around the time the first charges went public, prosecutors opened a second investigation related to 2018. They allege Shakira owes €6.7 million ($7.1 million) but used an offshore company based in a tax haven to avoid the payment.
According to a statement from Spanish prosecutors, Shakira has been notified of the new charges in Miami, where she currently lives. She and her representatives have yet to comment.
