Shakira Facing Second Tax Probe in Spain

Lebanese-Colombian superstar Shakira is facing a second tax fraud case in Spain. 

Almost 10 months after the pop star, 46, was ordered to stand trial in her $13.9 million tax evasion case in the country, she has now been hit with another investigation. 

According to Reuters, a Spanish court said Thursday that it has started a new investigation against the Colombian star linked to alleged fraud on personal income tax and wealth tax in 2018. 

The court, which is in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona, said it had no information on how much money was in question, according to the Associated Press.

Spanish media outlet El Pais reported that the court opened a second case as a result of a complaint by the Barcelona Economic Crimes Prosecutor regarding Shakira allegedly defrauding the Tax Agency. 

Another local outlet, El Periodico, reported that the prosecutor’s office has filed a complaint for two alleged tax crimes.

A representative for Shakira told PEOPLE in a statement Thursday that she “defends having always acted in accordance with the law and under the advice of the best tax experts. She is now focused on her life as an artist in Miami and is confident that there will be a favorable resolution of her tax issues.”

The representative also added that she is yet to receive any formal notification of the second probe regarding the 2018 financial year. 

The statement continued. “The singer's legal team will not make any comments until the notification reaches them through the official and legally established channels.” 

“As it is publicly known, and as the Spanish Treasury was officially notified, Shakira is now living in Miami, so she must be notified personally at her new address, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Law.”

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer is expected to stand trial in the autumn for the first case, according to El Pais.

Shakira is faces a possible eight-year sentence plus a large fine if she is found guilty of not paying taxes from 2012 to 2014.

In July 2022, the pop star rejected a settlement offer in the case, according to Reuters, which would have settled the case out of court. She has denied any wrongdoing, and her public relations firm maintains that she has paid what she owed plus $3 million in interest, per the AP.

It was in September 2022 that Spanish authorities cleared the way for prosecutors to pursue further legal action against the star, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll.

The first fraud case against Shakira hinges on where she lived during the period of 2012-2014. 

The performer said that she spent most of her time in her primary residence, in the Bahamas, while prosecutors will aim to prove she spent the majority of the period in Spain.

In documents obtained by both El Periodico and El Pais, Shakira’s defense claimed that she had spent most of her time abroad, and made no effort to intentionally hide her income, citing any misunderstandings as "a difference in criteria."

According to El Pais, the second investigation is not related to where the star was living, but to “some alleged irregularity detected by the Treasury that, in the eyes of the Prosecutor's Office, may constitute a crime.”

Shakira left Barcelona for Miami with her children in April, leaving behind the home city of her Spanish ex, Gerard Piqué.

Shakira shares two boys with the former Barcelona footballer, 36: Sasha, 8, and Milan, 10. 

The couple, who announced their separation in a joint statement in June 2022, raised their children in the beachside city in Spain's Catalonia region.

Announcing she was departing Barcelona, Shakira, who called the city home for eight years, posted a farewell message on Instagram saying she is leaving so she can start "a new chapter."

An English translation of the post read, "I settled in Barcelona to give my sons stability, the same that we are now looking for in another corner of the world besides family, friends and the sea. Today we started a new chapter in the search for happiness."

The Grammy Award-winning singer also thanked "everyone who surfed many waves with me in Barcelona, the city where I learned that without a doubt, friendship is longer than love."