A lawsuit alleging multi-million dollar fraud against global superstar Shakira has been dismissed in a Miami court. An 80-year-old California man accused the singer of deceit in a supposed multi-million dollar contract. A judge found a lack of evidence, indicating the man had interacted with an impersonator.
The plaintiff claimed he gave over $140,000 USD to the artist. This money was allegedly for financing concerts and publishing a biographical book about his life. According to an NBC Miami report, he asserted they had signed a contract in January 2023 and maintained constant communication through social media and private messages.
As evidence, the man presented screenshots of Facebook posts and conversations to the court. In these, a profile named “Shakira” referred to him as “my official husband,” “love of my life,” and “business partner.”
However, none of the images showed the two together. Digital evidence strongly suggested the plaintiff had been interacting with an impostor, not the actual 48-year-old singer.
Shakira’s legal defense team formally intervened, filing a motion to dismiss the case. They cited procedural irregularities in the filing.
According to court documents, attorney José Becerra explained the lawsuit was invalid. He stated, “Never was a summons issued or presented, the amended complaint was not served on the defendant or a resident of her household; and the process server did not inform the recipient of the content of the documents.”
During a Thursday hearing in Miami, neither the plaintiff nor his lawyer appeared. Judge Daryl E. Trawick requested Shakira’s attorneys attempt to contact the man, whose only available information was an email address.
In court, Becerra was emphatic about the nature of the case. “If I may add, Your Honor, what we have here is a case of impersonation,” he said. “Someone who impersonated the defendant (Shakira) apparently had interactions with this plaintiff.” He added that the plaintiff had indicated his intent to withdraw the case via email the previous night.
Judge Trawick ultimately granted the defense’s request. He dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.
Shakira has not issued any public statements regarding the lawsuit. She continues to focus on her global ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour.’