Gerard Piqué, taxes and private tapes: Ten times Shakira was involved in controversy

Shakira and Gerard Piqué recently announced their split, after more than ten years and two children together. However, this is not the first time that the Colombian singer has been in the headlines for controversial reasons. Let’s take a look back at some of the scandals she has faced over the years!

Shakira and Gerard Pique met before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, as the pop star performed the official song for the event. The following year they confirmed their relationship, welcoming sons Milán and Sasha in 2013 and 2015, respectively. The pair announced their split in June 2022, through a joint statement that read: "We regret to confirm that we are separating. For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we request respect for our privacy. Thank you for your understanding."

Before her romance with Piqué, Shakira had a relationship with Argentinian lawyer Antonio de la Rúa from 2000 to 2010. He was also her manager. But things did not end on good terms. In 2013 he sued the ‘Waka Waka’ singer for $100 million, after she had unexpectedly terminated their business partnership. Los Angeles authorities dismissed the case.

In 2019 Cuban singer Livián Castellano sued Shakira, as well as Colombian music star Carlos Vives, after accusing them of plagiarizing his 1997 track ‘Yo te quiero tanto’ in their 2016 Grammy-Award winning song ‘La Bicicleta’. However, Spanish authorities dismissed the case stating there was no plagiarism at all.

In 2017 Shakira’s name was published in the Paradise Papers, a series of documents involving offshore investments. It was then revealed that the Colombian star used a Malta-based company to transfer roughly $30 million in music rights. Her legal representatives stated that Shakira’s use of the company was 100 per cent legal.

In 2018, Shakira was once again involved in a financial controversy. Spanish authorities stated that the music star had not paid taxes in Spain from 2012 to 2014, a period of time when she was living in the European country along with Gerard Piqué and one of their children. Shakira, however, argued that her primary residence was in the Bahamas at the time.

In 2010 the singer was chosen to perform the South Africa World Cup’s official theme song ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’. However, some criticised the decision and claimed that a Latin star singing and dancing to African rhythms did not make sense. According to Refinery29, Shakira addressed the controversy and said: “I thought that in that way we could create a song that’s more emblematic of what the World Cup spirit is — that spirit of tolerance, integration, and that melting pot that South Africa is right now.”

In 2012 the pop star made headlines after a clip of her performance at the VI Summit of the Americas surfaced on the internet. Shakira was in charge of singing the Colombian national anthem, but shockingly forgot some of the lyrics!

Shakira was in the spotlight again in 2012 after two people threatened to sell media outlets a private video of her, which had been supposedly filmed while she and Piqué were making love. According to Spanish outlet Interviu, two former workers of the couple were behind everything. However, Shakira’s representative expressed his lack of credibility, claiming that the people in the video were indistinguishable.

Shakira and Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz have teamed up more than once to give us fantastic tracks such as ‘Te lo agradezco pero no’ and ‘La tortura’. However, some fans believe that their relationship was more than just professional due to the chemistry between the pair.

Shakira has separated from Gerard Piqué, after more than a decade together. In 2014, the star said her footballer partner was uncomfortable about her making music videos with men. She said: “Gerard does not let me make videos with other men. He is a very conservative person. You would be surprised as he is very young and we know how current generations are. But the truth is, yes, he is very conservative.”