Latin singing sensation Shakira spoke out about allegations of tax evasion during an interview with Elle Magazine published Sept. 21.
“I’m confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor,” she said, according to Elle.
Shakira is facing six charges and is accused of failing to pay the Spanish government roughly $15 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014, according to USA Today. The prosecutors are seeking a fine of $24.5 million and the Colombian-born artist could face as many as 8 years in jail if convicted.
She denies the allegations and said the government is responsible for “apply[ing] pressure in the media” and using a “salacious press campaign” to turn people against her. She said that she didn’t spend enough time in Spain to be deemed a resident of their country.
Pictures of #Shakira taken yesterday. pic.twitter.com/UDwgYQPCw5
— KevinPrt44 (@KevinPrt44) September 16, 2022
“I’ve paid everything they claimed I owed, even before they filed a lawsuit. So as of today, I owe zero to them,” Shakira said. (RELATED: Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg Pleads Guilty To Tax Fraud, Evasion)
Thank you to the @ELLEmagazine team, it’s always so nice to work with you, you were so sweet. And thanks to @JaumedeLaiguana for the beautiful pictures. https://t.co/KJqbAoY1B2 pic.twitter.com/panyBcbX8Z
— Shakira (@shakira) September 21, 2022
The star obtained advice from “one of the four biggest tax specialist firms in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers,” according to the Elle interview.
“So I was confident that I was doing things correctly and transparently from day one,” Shakira said.
Shakira has some strong supporters who are standing by her side, including Will.i.am, Chris Martin, Juan Luis Guerra and Alejandro Sanz.
“Their support has made me feel that I might be alone, but I am not lonely,” Shakira said.