Singer Shakira finds herself at the center of a case regarding alleged tax fraud amounting to 14.5 million euros in Spain. The newspaper *El Pais* gained access to excerpts from the artist’s testimony to the Spanish court, where the Colombian singer discusses her «tumultuous relationship» with former Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué.

“I was so enamored with him. I remember flying from Marrakech to Croatia. We flew over Barcelona, and I asked the pilot if we could briefly land just so I could kiss Gerard. That was the most romantic gesture of my life. I don’t know if the tax office counted that as a day spent in Spain,” Shakira stated.

The singer said that in 2011, when they started dating, they “barely saw each other.” She mentioned her uncertainty because the player was ten years younger than her, attractive, and “had a reputation as a playboy.” Therefore, she explained that she had no “guarantees” that the relationship would progress or that they would one day start a family.

“I never imagined I’d live in this country because of that boy with a beard. But I was willing to sacrifice everything for a guy I had just met. Our relationship was very intense, but our professional lives were like oil and water; they didn’t mix. I traveled the world, and he had to stick to his schedule,” Shakira’s words were reported by *O Globo*.

Her testimony lasted almost an hour and a half, during which she tried to convince the judge that she did not permanently reside in Spain before 2015 and, therefore, should not be considered a resident.

During her testimony in June 2019, the artist lamented the “irreparable damage” to her reputation caused by the case. Spanish tax authorities accuse the singer of evading taxes between 2012 and 2014.

In March 2023, Gerard Piqué was caught repeatedly cheating on the Colombian singer, with whom he had lived in an unofficial marriage since 2011. The couple shares two sons, Milan and Sasha.