Shakira to face a second investigation in Spain for tax fraud

Pop star Shakira is facing more trouble from Spain’s tax office after a court near Barcelona said Thursday that it had agreed to open an investigation into a second case of alleged tax fraud by the Colombian singer.

Shakira is already set to face trial at a date to be determined for allegedly failing to pay 14.5 million euros ($13.9 million) in taxes on income earned between 2012 and 2014. The entertainer has denied any wrongdoing.

Now, a Spanish judge has agreed with state prosecutors to probe two possible cases of tax fraud by Shakira from 2018. The court said it had no information on how much money was in question.

Both cases are being handled by a court in the town of Esplugues de Llobregat, near Barcelona.

The first case that is set to go to trial hinges on where Shakira lived during 2012-14. Prosecutors in Barcelona have alleged the Grammy winner spent more than half of that period in Spain and should have paid taxes in the country, even though her official residence was in the Bahamas.

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Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been linked to Spain since she started dating the now-retired soccer player Gerard Pique. The couple, who have two children, lived together in Barcelona before the pair announced their split just over a year ago after more than a decade together.

The "She Wolf" singer recently opened up about their separation and how she learned her once-partner had "betrayed" her.

While dealing with the separation, "Hips Don't Lie" singer has had a year full of achievements – some with ties to the uncoupling.

She received the Woman of the Year award at Billboard's inaugural Latin Women in Music 2023 gala in May. The award came after a record-breaking music year, during which she crushed more than a dozen Guinness World Records with "Shakira: BZRP Music Sessions #53." The song – which seemingly shades her ex – made its debut at No. 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. That feat alone made her the first woman to have a song on the chart's top 10 in Spanish, according to Billboard.

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Spain has cracked down on soccer stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the past decade for not paying their full due in taxes. They were found guilty of evasion but both avoided prison time thanks to a provision that allows a judge to waive sentences under two years in length for first-time offenders.

Contributing: Morgan Hines