Shakira reaches deal with authorities to avoid €14.5m tax fraud trial in Spain
Pop star Shakira has reached a deal with tax authorities in Spain, avoiding a €14.5m trial on the morning it was due to begin.
The Colombian pop star attended court on Monday and agreed to pay a fine of €7m (£6.1m). She waved and blew a kiss to bystanders as she walked in ahead of the short hearing.
After answering “yes” to confirm acknowledgement of failing to pay the Spanish government taxes, she also received a suspended three-year sentence, the AP news agency reported.
In a statement sent to Sky News, Shakira said she had “always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others” but now wants to “move past the stress”.
Shakira pictured outside court in Barcelona this morning
The agreement means a trial which had been due to include dozens of witnesses, and was expected to last several weeks, has now been called off – and prosecutors have dropped their demand for the star to be jailed for eight years.
The Hips Don’t Lie singer said her lawyers had been “confident” the court would have ruled in her favour following a trial.
However, she said she took the decision to resolve the matter beforehand “with the best interest of my kids at heart, who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal wellbeing in this fight”.
Shakira, 46, has two sons with her ex-partner, footballer Gerard Pique.
She had faced six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government €14.5m (about £12.7m) in taxes between 2012 and 2014.
The case centred around where she was living at the time, and she had denied any wrongdoing. Her defence team had argued she had not spent more than 60 days a year in Spain during the period in question and so should not have been considered a fiscal resident.
‘Winning is getting my time back’
In her statement, Shakira said she had sought “the advice of the world’s preeminent tax authorities PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited”, her advisers throughout the process.
“Unfortunately, and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people’s energy, time, and tranquility for years at a time,” she said.
“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, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about.
“I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”
Spain has cracked down on football stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for tax offences in the last decade.
The former Barcelona and Real Madrid stars were found guilty of evasion but both avoided jail after their sentences were suspended.
From Grammy wins to court
Shakira attended the Latin Grammy Awards at the weekend. Pic: AP
Shakira’s deal comes after the star was named one of the big winners at the Latin Grammys at the weekend, taking home three awards.
She was presented with one award by Sergio Ramos, former Spanish international teammate of Pique and defender for Real Madrid, rivals of Pique’s former club Barcelona.
Prosecutors announced in September that Shakira would also face separate charges of €6.7m tax evasion in Spain, relating to a period in 2018. Sky News understands this case is still ongoing but her lawyers are confident of a resolution.
British drama Adolescence has seen its lead stars all nominated for Golden Globe awards.
The drama, starring Stephen Graham, depicts the aftermath of the stabbing of a teenage girl, as a 13-year-old boy from her school is arrested for her murder. It was one of the most talked-about shows of the year.
Young Owen Cooper is up for best supporting actor. Pic:Netflix
Graham, along with Owen Cooper, Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty are all up for gongs. It follows a host of wins at the Emmys in September.
Receiving five nominations in total, the Netflix limited series was only beaten by HBO’s White Lotus, which got six nods, coming top in the TV category.
Cynthia Erivo was nominated for her role in the Wicked sequel, Wicked For Good, while British stars Gary Oldman, Helen Mirren and Aimee Lou Wood also got recognition for their roles in Slow Horses, Mobland and The White Lotus, respectively.
Mirren will also be awarded one of the Globe’s two lifetime achievement awards, the Cecil B DeMille Award, announced a few days before the ceremony in the New Year.
Emily Blunt picked up a surprise nomination for her role in The Smashing Machine, opposite Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – who also got a nod for the sports biopic.
Tessa Thompson was recognised for her role in Hedda, a modern re-telling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play.
Irish stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley were both nominated for Hamnet, the adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s book about William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. The movie isn’t out in the UK until January.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo at the London premiere for Wicked: For Good
Ryan Coogler (L) and Michael B Jordan at the Sinners premiere. Pic: AP
Films, TV – and podcasts
Unlike other awards, the Globes cover both TV and film and are split by genre, falling into either the drama or comedy and musical category – meaning a wealth of nominees are in the running.
This year, there are 28 categories.
In the film category, One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, led the nominations with nine, followed by Norwegian comedy-drama Sentimental Value with eight, and vampire horror Sinners with seven.
Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from One Battle After Another.
Pic: Warner Bros/AP
KPop Demon Hunters continued its world domination with three nominations – best animated film, cinematic and box office achievement and original song – making an Oscar nod further down the line look more and more likely.
New to this year’s nominations is a category for podcasts. Selected from a long list of the 25 most-listened to shows, Good Hang With Amy Poehler, Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard and Call Her Daddy were among the casts that made the cut.
Sarah Jessica Parker will be honoured with the Carol Burnett Award.
Now in comeback mode, the Globes had previously faced criticism over a lack of diversity in the organisation, which led to the event being held behind closed doors in 2022.
The 83rd Golden Globes ceremony will take place in LA on 11 January, and will be hosted by US comedian Nikki Glaser for the second year running.
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