What happened to Shakira? Internet responds with hilarious escape jail memes as singer faces 8-year prison sentence in tax fraud case

Shakira (Image via Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

According to Reuters, Spanish prosecutors in Madrid are reportedly seeking an eight-year imprisonment sentence for globally acclaimed pop-star Shakira. The news agency further reported that the legal documents showcased on Friday, July 29, demanded a fine of over 23 million euros ($ 23.5 million or £19 million) and a call for potential incarceration.

As per the prosecutors' demands, they want the Barcelona court to impose a fine on the Colombian singer-songwriter and a potential prison sentence. The 45-year-old singer is charged with six counts of alleged fraud in tax payments between 2012 and 2014.

However, the Colombian artist has reportedly rejected an out-of-court settlement with a possible plea deal. This means that the Grammy-winning singer will proceed to trial for her alleged tax fraud lawsuit. The Spanish court will now set a date for the trial, where the singer and her lawyer will defend their claims against that of the prosecutors.

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Shakira's spokesperson responds to tax-fraud allegations

In a recent media statement, the singer's representatives emphasized upon Shakira's diligence as "an individual and a taxpayer," going on to say that she has always abided by the cousel of "globally recognized tax firm" PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). Speaking about the tax fraud allegation, the statement continued:

"Unfortunately, the Spanish Tax Office, which loses one out of every two lawsuits with its taxpayers, continues to violate her rights and pursue yet another baseless case. Shakira is confident that her innocence will be proven by the end of the judicial process."

The singer, formally known as Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has been alleged to be a tax resident of Spain since 2012 and is accused of committing tax fraud of approximately 14.5 million euros.

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Netizens react to Shakira's tax-fraud allegations

As expected, these allegations have garnered a massive response from a legion of social media users. Some have even joked that they will break into Spanish prison to free the pop star if she is incarcerated. The allegations have further spawned memes and video skits about the singer. Most of this content joked about how she would escape being incarcerated with her dancing skills.

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Shakira's tax-fraud allegations explained:

The 45-year-old Barranquilla, Colombia native was a registered taxpayer in the Bahamas and only became an official taxpayer in Spain around 2015. However, Spanish authorities have claimed that the Hips Don't Lie singer was liable to pay taxes even prior to that.

To elaborate, Spanish taxpayers have to pay taxes on their entire income made globally. Furthermore, the law states that any official visitor is liable to pay taxes to the Spanish government if they spend more than 183 days of the year in the country.

As per the allegations made by the Spanish authority, Shakira spent 697 days in the country between 2012 to 2014. In a reported breakdown of the allegations, the singer was accused of having spent 242 days in the country in 2012, 212 days in the next year, and 243 days in the year after. At the time, the Colombian native was a registered taxpayer only in the Bahamas.

The timeline of her allegedly extended stays in Spain is believable to some since the dubbed "Queen of Latin Music" had been in a relationship with Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué since late 2010 or early 2011. The couple broke up earlier this year. Amid this, the pop star bought a house in Barcelona in May 2012, which reportedly became the family home for herself, Pique, and their children.

The singer has denied all allegations against her, and her representatives have doubled down that she had abided by the tax regulations. However, she paid back approximately $15 million that she owed to the Spanish authority. Additionally, the Colombian star paid interest of approximately £3 million (or $3.65 million).