Shakira says Spanish tax collectors are waging ‘salacious press campaign’ against her

Shakira says Spanish tax collectors “began to salivate” once they noticed she was relationship soccer star Gerard Piqué, a local of Barcelona. And she or he says these authorities are utterly within the unsuitable relating to $16 million she allegedly didn’t pay in taxes from 2012 to 2014.

The Colombian singer was charged with tax evasion in Spain in 2018. Authorities mentioned in July that they might ask a courtroom to condemn Shakira to eight years and two months in jail if she’s convicted.

However she’s not budging.

She advised Elle in an interview printed Wednesday that she needed to battle the fees as a result of the accusations are false. She says she didn’t qualify as a resident of Spain through the years she is accused of tax evasion.

“To begin with, I didn’t spend 183 days per yr at the moment in any respect. I used to be busy fulfilling my skilled commitments world wide,” Shakira mentioned.

“Second, I’ve paid every part they claimed I owed, even earlier than they filed a lawsuit. In order of right this moment, I owe zero to them. And eventually, I used to be suggested by one of many 4 greatest tax specialist corporations on this planet, PricewaterhouseCoopers, so I used to be assured that I used to be doing issues accurately and transparently from day one.”

Shakira mentioned tax authorities had been mounting a “salacious press marketing campaign” to use strain — as in, the specter of reputational injury — in hopes of eliciting a settlement deal. She accused them of monitoring her whereabouts by way of social media as soon as she began relationship footballer Piqué in 2011.

“Whereas Gerard and I had been relationship, I used to be on a world tour. I spent greater than 240 days outdoors of Spain, so there was no means I certified as a resident,” she mentioned.

“The Spanish tax authorities noticed that I used to be relationship a Spanish citizen and began to salivate. It’s clear they wished to go after that cash it doesn’t matter what. … They knew I wasn’t in Spain the required time, that Spain wasn’t my administrative center or my supply of earnings, however they nonetheless got here after me, with their eyes on the prize.”

Shakira mentioned she was assured that justice would prevail in her favor when the case goes to trial. “I’ve sufficient proof.”

And if that’s not sufficient to handle, the singer has additionally been coping with the breakup of her high-profile marriage — with the attendant tabloid consideration on her and her youngsters — in addition to her well being points.

“I’ve paparazzi tenting outdoors, in entrance of my home, 24/7,” she mentioned. “And there’s not a spot the place I can disguise from them with my youngsters, apart from my very own home. , we will’t take a stroll within the park like an everyday household or go have an ice cream or do any exercise with out paparazzi following us. So it’s arduous.”

The connection she had with Piqué has been cheapened by the media, she mentioned, which is so disappointing.

This, Shakira mentioned, “might be the darkest hour of my life.”