Shakira assured during the Latin Grammys that she was ready to leave the past in the past and has now stepped into a brighter future after five years of a legal battle with Spain’s Treasury.

The Colombian artist said she “felt ready to defend” her “innocence.” However, she still opted to prioritize her children’s wishes, who asked her to end this process: “They have lived through very hard times and I want them to see me happy,” the global sensation said, as informed by our sister magazine ¡Hola!

Shakira and the Spanish Tax Agency reached a financial agreement on Monday, November 20th, to end the trial for alleged tax fraud. The singer was accused of owing 14.5 million euros to the Treasury and was facing a potential sentence of eight years and two months and a fine of 23.8 million euros.

“The legal team, aware of the exhaustion and time that this process entails for a singer of international prestige like Shakira, has reached a financial agreement with the prosecution in order to put an end to the process; and thus avoid the impact of the media exposure and the trial time, which on many occasions is of an exhausting length,” reads Shakira’s official statement.

“Despite all the efforts to defend her innocence, the criminal process and the pressure from the Tax Agency during these five years have generated an enormous loss of time and resources for the artist, and Shakira now feels the need to prioritize her career and their stability and that of her children,” the statement adds.

“I felt ready to face a trial and defend my innocence. However, after many years of struggle, I made this decision. I had two options: continue fighting until the end, mortgaging my peace of mind and my children, stop making songs, albums, and tours, or make an agreement, close and leave this chapter of my life behind looking forward.”

Shakira said she wants Milan and Sasha to see her happy. “They have asked me, and I have made this decision for them. They have lived through tough times, and I want them to see me happy and look towards the future together,” she assured.

“For me, today, winning is getting my time back. What good is it for me to win a procedure in the end if I have to fight for 10 or 15 years and lose everything along the way?” she asks herself.

The artist stated that she had been primarily focused on this process for the last five years. However, in her statement, she assured that she is now looking forward to many commitments and developments in her musical career, which she doesn’t want to postpone further.