Shakira broke her silence regarding the many controversies that are surrounding her. For the past few months, she has been in the headlines for various reasons, including tax fraud allegations from the Spanish government and her divorce from her husband.
Through it all, the 45-year-old singer turned to music. In an interview with Elle Magazine, Shakira described this time of her life as her "darkest hour," and the process behind her upcoming album had been a "gratifying" and therapeutic" experience, a much-needed respite from her otherwise chaotic life.
The Chaos
Shakira was accused of tax evasion by the Spanish government in 2018, and the singer has denied the accusations vehemently. If convicted, Shakira may face up to eight years in prison.
When asked why she decided to fight the accusations instead of settling, the singer replied, "Because I have to fight for what I believe; because these are false accusations."
According to her, she had paid "everything they claimed [she] owed, even before they filed a lawsuit," and added, "as of today, I owe zero to them."
She also claimed the government of using tax fraud as a means to extort "celebrities like [her]," citing Spanish personalities such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Neymar, and more.
"It's just their style. But I'm confident that I have enough proof to support my case and that justice will prevail in my favor," she continued.
Aside from her troubles with the Spanish government, the singer is also struggling with the fallout from her marriage to soccer player Gerard Pique.
All the while, she has kept mum about the entire situation, however, she has broken her silence: "I've remained quiet and just tried to process it all. It's hard to talk about it, especially because I'm still going through it, because I'm in the public eye, and because our separation is not like a regular separation."
She revealed that the news of the separation was not only difficult for her but also for her children. She explained that because of the constant media attention, she and her children are not able to live relatively normal lives, like going outside for ice cream and such, as she cited.
New Music
It has been quite some time since the "Hips Don't Lie" singer released new music, five years to be precise.
Shakira revealed in her interview with Elle Magazine that music-making has been her lifesaver, "It just helps me process my emotions and make sense of them. And it helps me to heal."
"It is sort of like driftwood for a man drowning in the sea, that piece of wood that you hang on to when you feel like you're drowning," she explained. "I think that music is a life raft. There have been days when I had to pick up the pieces of me from the floor."
"In this moment of my life, which is probably one of the most difficult, darkest hours of my life, music has brought light," she concluded.
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