In response, Shakira said that she did not settle a $15 million Spanish tax fraud lawsuit because she was guilty, but rather primarily wanted to protect her children. The Colombian singer accused Spanish authorities of fabricating a “contrived story” to salvage their reputation and denounced them for using her as a scapegoat in a letter made public and published by El Mundo. Shakira remarked of her two kids, Milan and Sasha, “I made the decisions I made to protect them, to be by their side, not out of cowardice or guilt.”

Authorities claimed Shakira owed income tax for those years since she lived in Spain, and she was accused of evading paying over $16 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Shakira refuted the allegations, claiming that she was not a resident of Spain at the time and that her 2011 visitation was limited to just 73 days—far shorter than the 183-day minimum needed to qualify as a tax resident.

When she chose to become an expatriate in 2015 and live in Spain, she clarified that the tax authorities “tried to charge [her] for the past 10 years”. Shakira added that no problems were discovered with her tax returns by the IRS or any other organisations.

Shakira reached a settlement in 2023 that included a three-year suspended sentence and a $7.5 million fine. She still insists she is innocent despite the compensation.

She went on, “They wanted the public to think that I didn’t pay my taxes when, in reality, I paid a lot more than I should have.”