Colombian pop icon Shakira has reached a settlement with Spanish prosecutors, thereby avoiding a trial where she was accused of failing to pay 14.5 million euros in taxes in Spain.
On Monday morning, Shakira appeared at the court in Barcelona, entering with a smile. As part of the settlement, she is required to pay a fine but will no longer face a potential prison sentence. The fine amounts to 7.3 million euros, as stated by the presiding judge at the initial court hearing.
The 14.5 million euros, equivalent to about 110 million Danish kroner, represent the taxes the prosecution claimed she owed for income earned in Spain between 2012 and 2014.
Prosecutors alleged that Shakira spent more than six months per year in Spain during that period, effectively establishing residency in the country.
The prosecutor in the case had sought a sentence of up to eight years in prison for the singer. However, due to the settlement, whose details have yet to be disclosed, Shakira will not face such a sentence.
Shakira, known for international hits like 'Hips Don't Lie' and 'Underneath Your Clothes', has two children with former footballer Gerard Pique, who played for Barcelona from 2008 until last year.
The couple, who met during the filming of the music video for Shakira's 'Waka Waka', the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, lived together for 11 years before announcing their separation in June of the previous year.
Watch the music video for Shakira's 'Waka Waka', the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup here:
