While Shakira’s hips don’t lie, Spanish prosecutors are alleging that her finances might.
Videos by American Songwriter
The Colombian singer is currently being charged with tax fraud by the Spanish government. Prosecutors allege that Shakira failed to pay about $15 million dollars in taxes between 2012 and 2014. During that time window, Shakira is believed to have lived in Barcelona with her family. The prosecutorial team will also be seeking a fine of around $24 million dollars in response to the alleged fraud.
And here comes the kicker, on top of the charges and fines brought, prosecutors are seeking to sentence Shakira to eight years and two months in prison.
This sentence comes on the heels of Shakira rejecting to settle the case. In rejecting a settlement, Shakira will have to stand on trial. No trial date has been set as of yet. Additionally, representatives for the singer have stated that she “has always cooperated and abided by the law, demonstrating impeccable conduct as an individual and a taxpayer.” They also stated that Shakira is “fully confident of her innocence” and views these allegations as a “violation of her rights.”
Now, despite Shakira not actually being imprisoned or even technically on trial at the moment, her fans are coming out in full force to show their support for the singer. Several fans have pointed fingers at Spain’s history of colonization without reparations as a reason for hypocrisy, while many more fans turned to humorous quips.
One tweet from a Shakira fan reads, “me distracting the guards so Shakira can sneak out of jail,” above a video of a woman dancing. Others show dramatic scenes of prison breaks all in the name of freeing Shakira.
Shakira’s team has yet to make an additional comment, and this is a developing story.
Check out some of these comical responses below.
What do you think about Shakira’s situation? Comment below and let us know.
