There’s a show in the UK at the moment where celebrities share jail cells with ex-convicts. The concept almost became a reality this week, when Shakira appeared in a Spanish court on tax fraud charges. Fortunately for the Colombian singer, a whopping fine was enough to satisfy the authorities, leaving her free to waka waka once more.

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Shakira swerves jail by settling Spanish tax evasion suit

Colombian superstar Shakira has settled a tax evasion suit, avoiding a trial that was due to start. The singer admitted the charges against her and paid $19 million of taxes owed including interest, plus an $8 million fine. Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of more than eight years if Shakira were convicted on all six counts of tax fraud.

Spanish authorities said Shakira was liable to pay income and wealth tax between 2012 and 2014 because she had lived in the country for more than 200 days in each of those three years. She disputed that, calling the allegations “false” in a magazine interview last year.

Monday’s court proceedings lasted 10 minutes. In a statement after the hearing, Shakira said “I had two options: keep fighting until the end, taking my peace of mind and that of my children, stop making songs, albums and tours, without being able to enjoy my career and the things I like; or agree, close and leave this chapter of my life behind.”

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