Shakira Calls Spanish Tax Fraud Case a Smear Campaign

Lebanese-Colombian superstar Shakira is accusing the Spanish prosecutors who sued her for tax fraud of launching a “smear campaign” against her.

According to documents obtained by TMZ, the Grammy winner, 45, stated that the authorities violated her right to privacy by handling matters so publicly and without the presumption of innocence.

Shakira’s legal team also clarified the reasons why she is not liable for the tax bill, stating that she was not a resident of Spain during the time in question.

According to Spanish law, the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer only has to pay taxes if she spends 183 days or more in the European country in one single year.

In September, a Spanish judge ordered Shakira to stand trial for failing to pay $13.9 million in taxes on income she earned between 2012 and 2014.

If found guilty, the 45-year-old singer - dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop - could face up to eight years in prison and a $24 million fine.

However, Shakira denies that she was a full-time resident of Spain from 2012 to 2014 and paid $10,141,075 in taxes to the U.S. government.

Prosecutors claim that the pop star declared herself as a Spanish tax resident in 2015 after settling there with her now-former partner, Gerard Piqué, and their sons, Milan, 9, and Sasha, 7.

No date for a trial has been set yet.