A Spanish court on Monday acquitted pop star Shakira of tax fraud and ordered the country's tax authority to repay the Colombian artist more than 55 million euros ($64 million), including interest and her legal fees.
The ruling can still be appealed before Spain’s Supreme Court.
The judges found that tax authorities had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Shakira was a tax resident in Spain in 2011.
A key factor was that the required period of residence of more than 183 days could not be substantiated, the National High Court in Madrid stated.
Following the ruling, Shakira said in a message to the Spanish media that she had now been vindicated after "more than eight years of brutal public shaming” and a campaign to destroy her reputation.
She had never committed fraud, yet she had been "treated as guilty” for years, the singer said. As a result, she had endured "countless sleepless nights that ended up affecting my health and the well-being of my family."
Shakira dedicated her "triumph to the thousands of anonymous citizens who are abused and oppressed every day by a system that presumes their guilt and forces them to prove their innocence from a position of economic and emotional ruin.”
Just last week, the 49-year-old unveiled "Dai Dai,” the official song for the 2026 World Cup. She had previously contributed the song for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with "Waka Waka.”
Shakira lived in Barcelona for years with former Spanish football star Gerard Piqué. Following their split, Shakira left her long-time home away from home just under four years ago with their two sons. She has been living in Miami, Florida, ever since.
