Colombian pop star Shakira has agreed to pay a €7.5m fine in a deal to settle her longstanding tax fraud case.
Spanish prosecutors had wanted to jail her for eight years and fine her €23.8m (£20.8m) if found guilty, but yesterday (20 November), she settled as her trial was about to start.
She acknowledged six counts of failing to pay the Spanish government €14.5m in taxes between 2012 and 2014 and agreed to pay a fine of 50% of the amount owed, more than €7.3m and another fine of €438,000 to avoid a three-year prison sentence during the trial's first hearing.
In a statement, the Hips Don't Lie singer said: "Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what's right and set a positive example for others.
"That often means taking the extra step in business and personal financial decisions to procure the absolute best counsel, including seeking the advice of the world's pre-eminent tax authorities PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited and Ernst & Young Global Limited, who have been my advisers during this whole process.
"Unfortunately, and despite these efforts, tax authorities in Spain pursued a case against me as they have against many professional athletes and other high-profile individuals, draining those people's energy, time, and tranquillity for years at a time.
"While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have made the decision to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her personal wellbeing in this fight.
The statement continued: "I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love - my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about.
"I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career."
