Shakira’s dirty laundry is on full display after Spanish prosecutors built a three-year case against her involving tax fraud. They allege the singer and her husband misrepresented their address, claiming they lived in The Bahamas while, in actuality, they resided in Spain. 

According to the prosecution, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, the singer’s full name, was first accused of tax evasion in December 2018. Allegedly, the singer failed to pay millions in taxes to the Spanish government between 2012-2014. 

They say she listed The Bahamas as her official residence while residing in Spain with her now ex-partner, Gerard Piqué, who is the father of their two children. 

The Colombian pop sensation faces an eight-year prison sentence following her legal team’s rejection of a settlement agreement. 

Llorente y Cuenca, the PR firm behind the case, said the singer “trusts her innocence and chooses to leave the issue in the hands of the law" in a statement on Wednesday, July 27. The report follows the prosecution’s charges, including a $24.5 million fine.  

The matter of the singer’s finances first surfaced in court in 2019, when she testified before a judge and denied any wrongdoing. 

The PR agency stood firm and said the singer paid all taxes due as soon as she was made aware of the charges. 

The trial that follows will evaluate whether or not The Bahamas was Shakira’s mainstay for the years in which she declared it her residence. 

If she is convicted, Shakira will serve up to eight years in prison. For first-time offenders, the court can choose to waive the sentence, and the singer could spend less than two years behind bars. While Shakira requested an appeal, it was denied by the court, which will evaluate the charges through trial.

Spanish Judge Marco Juberías wrote that, in his three-year probe, there was sufficient evidence of criminality to move forward with a case. 

This wouldn’t be La Loba’s first run-in with the courts since 2019 when she was accused of plagiarizing “La Bicicleta,” a well-known pop tune by singer-songwriter Liviam. The court, however, dismissed the charges. 

The court has not set a trial date.