Shakira's in some hot water right now. She's in trouble with the law and could be looking at up to eight years behind bars. The issue? Tax trouble in Spain. The folks in charge say that she didn't pay her fair share, to the tune of about €6.7 million (or £5.8 million), for her earnings back in 2018. The famous 'Waka Waka' singer is facing some serious accusations from Spanish authorities.

These new charges come on top of an earlier €14.5 million (£12.6 million) tax fraud case that Shakira is already facing. She's set to head to court for that one later this year, on November 20th in Barcelona. This case is all about where she was living between 2012 and 2014.

The prosecutors in Barcelona are saying that during most of the years from 2012 to 2014, the Grammy-winning singer was in Spain. This suggests that she should've been on the hook for paying taxes there, even though her official address was in the Bahamas.

What exactly is this about?

Following the testimony of roughly 200 witnesses, a trial date has been set for Shakira's fraud case. The trial is slated to start on November 20 and is projected to run through 12 sessions, wrapping up on December 14, with a few breaks factored in.

It's doubtful that Gerard Piqué, Shakira's ex, will have to take the stand as a witness, but Shakira herself is likely to get a summons. She'll probably give her testimony during the initial part of the trial and then might be allowed to leave. The news about the trial date came shortly after Gerard Piqué showed up in Miami. It's his first visit to the United States since they moved from Spain.

In response to these allegations, a representative for Shakira issued a statement in July

"In November, Shakira's publicist from LLYC released a statement saying, "Shakira is a taxpayer who has always demonstrated impeccable tax conduct and has never had tax problems in any other jurisdiction. She never exceeded the 183 days of presence in Spain required to be a tax resident."

"With no solid evidence to back up the charges against her, she has been relentlessly pursued in the criminal and media spheres. Employing unacceptable methods to harm her reputation and force her to reach a settlement agreement."

Emphasizing that she has always acted in line with the law and followed the advice of her financial advisors, they continued, "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." Prosecutors in Barcelona claim that Shakira used an offshore company in a tax haven to avoid tax payments, as mentioned in an official release.

Shakira was informed of these fresh charges in Miami, her current place of residence

The trouble for Shakira began back in July when Spanish tax officials started looking into her finances. After poring over the evidence for two months, the prosecutors have now decided to go ahead with the charges. As for the trial date, that's still up in the air. The PR company that used to handle Shakira's business, Llorente y Cuenca, hasn't said anything about these recent developments yet.

Shakira, whose full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, has had strong ties to Spain, especially because of her relationship with the retired soccer star Gerard Piqué. In June 2022, Shakira openly acknowledged her split from Piqué, ending over a decade of being together. For most of that time, they called Barcelona home until just the year before.

The singer's agency released the following statement: "We regret to confirm that we are parting ways. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect their privacy. Thank you for your understanding."

Never married, but strong for 11 years

Shakira, aged 46, and Gerard Piqué, who is 36, have been a couple since 2010. They welcomed two sons into their family during this time, naming them Milan and Sasha. Despite being together for 11 years, Shakira and Gerard Piqué never walked down the aisle.

During her discussion with Elle magazine regarding the split, Shakira expressed her emotions and perspectives: "Oh, this is really hard to talk about personally, especially as this is the first time I've ever addressed this situation in an interview. I've remained quiet and just tried to process it all." She continued: "It's been tough not only for me but also for my kids. Incredibly difficult."