Shakira has publicly asserted her innocence in her ongoing legal conflict with Spain’s Tax Agency, detailing her perspective in a letter published in El Mundo. The Colombian singer alleges that the tax authorities manipulated her residency status and acted with sexist biases, accusing them of prioritizing a media spectacle over a fair hearing. Although she admitted to tax fraud in 2023 and paid a fine of over €7 million, Shakira insists this was done to protect her children from a prolonged legal battle, not out of guilt. She argues that her relationship with Gerard Piqué was the reason for her visits to Spain, not an intention to establish residency, and she criticizes the tax agency's narrative as a deliberate attempt to damage her public image. Shakira highlights structural sexism in the legal proceedings, suggesting that the treatment she received would have differed if she were a man. Her letter aims to clarify her position and demonstrate her commitment to the truth for her children's sake.