The Bad Bunny Super Bowl 2026 Controversy, Explained

From the political messages in Kendrick Lamar’s performance to Donald Trump lobbing insults at Rihanna and Taylor Swift from Truth Social, in recent years the Super Bowl halftime show has often gotten caught up in the culture wars. But the right-wing backlash against Bad Bunny’s appearance at the 2026 Super Bowl has been especially swift and intense. Though the artist won’t take the stage at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for another four months, he’s already been attacked by Trump administration officials, Fox News commentators, and MAGA influencers, sparking false rumors that the NFL has canceled his performance.

Here’s a guide, which we’ll keep updated, to MAGA world’s issues with the Super Bowl LX halftime performer, Bad Bunny’s response, and some basic facts about Puerto Rico that have escaped his critics.

Who is Bad Bunny?

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a Puerto Rican singer and rapper known as the “king of Latin trap.” His stage name was inspired by a childhood photo of him looking annoyed while wearing a bunny costume.

Bad Bunny rose to fame as a SoundCloud artist, then was featured on two hit songs in 2018, “I Like It” with Cardi B and “Mia” with Drake. He’s released seven studio albums, winning three Grammy Awards and breaking multiple streaming records.

How was his Super Bowl performance announced?

He was announced as halftime show headliner during Sunday Night Football on September 28. Bad Bunny posted this video:

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a statement. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown … this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

Why is the right so worked up about Bad Bunny headlining?

Because he performs almost entirely in Spanish and he’s been a loud and frequent critic of the Trump administration.

Bad Bunny just completed a three-month, 30-show concert series in San Juan that brought an estimated $400 million to Puerto Rico’s economy during what is typically a slow season. In December, he’ll embark on an eight-month world tour that includes no stops in the continental U.S. In early September, he told i-D magazine that the decision was due to fears that his fans could be targeted by Trump’s mass-deportation push:

There were many reasons why I didn’t show up in the US, and none of them were out of hate — I’ve performed there many times. All of [the shows] have been successful. All of them have been magnificent. I’ve enjoyed connecting with Latinos who have been living in the US. But specifically, for a residency here in Puerto Rico, when we are an unincorporated territory of the US … People from the US could come here to see the show. Latinos and Puerto Ricans of the United States could also travel here, or to any part of the world. But there was the issue of — like, fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.

Bad Bunny alluded to the decision in an X post after the Super Bowl announcement, saying, “I’ve been thinking about it these days, and after discussing it with my team, I think I’ll do just one date in the United States.”

As if all this weren’t enough to fuel hours of enraged Fox News commentary, Bad Bunny is also know for his LGBTQ+ advocacy. He often calls out homophobia and transphobia, kissed a male backup dancer at the VMAs, and sometimes dresses in skirts or in drag. In a 2020 L.A. Times interview, he described himself as heterosexual but said that doesn’t “define” him, adding, “At the end of the day, I don’t know if in 20 years I will like a man. One never knows in life.”

Has Trump said anything about Bad Bunny?

Trump attended the 2025 Super Bowl and has always had a lot of thoughts on the game. But it took him more than a week to weigh in on the controversy du jour, possibly because he was confused.

The president was asked about Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show during an October 6 Newsmax interview.

“I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s like, crazy,” Trump said. “And then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

What did Trump administration officials say about Bad Bunny headlining?

Corey Lewandowski, a senior adviser at the Department of Homeland Security, claimed ICE agents will be at Bad Bunny’s halftime show during the October 1 episode of Benny Johnson’s podcast.

“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski responded. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.”

He went on to lament the “wokeness” of today’s NFL. “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much to represent them at the halftime game,” he said.

Days later, right-wing podcast host Benny Johnson asked Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem if there will be “ICE enforcement” at the Super Bowl. She said ICE will be “all over” the event.

“I have the responsibility for making sure everybody goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it, and to leave,” Noem said, adding that people should not attend the Super Bowl unless they are “law-abiding Americans who love this country.”

Will ICE agents actually be at the Super Bowl?

Maybe, but at this point they don’t even have concepts of a plan, despite Noem and Lewandowsi’s podcast bluster. Here’s what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on October 3:

Do Bad Bunny’s critics know that Puerto Ricans are American citizens?

Some clearly don’t. While complaining about Bad Bunny headlining the halftime show on her podcast, Fox News host Tomi Lahren said, “He’s not an American artist.” When guest Krystal Ball pointed out that Puerto Rico is actually part of the United States, Lahren just kept criticizing the artist without acknowledging her error.

How did Bad Bunny respond to the Super Bowl controversy?

He addressed it in his Saturday Night Live monologue on October 4. “I’m very happy, and I think everyone is happy about it, even Fox News,” he said, showing a heavily edited clip that made it look like Fox hosts were praising him.

“I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl, and I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” he said.

Then Bad Bunny switched to Spanish, saying:

Especially all the Latinos and Latinas across the world, and here, in the United States, all those who have worked to open doors. It’s more than an achievement for myself, it’s an achievement for all of us. It shows our footprint, and our contribution to this country, that no one will ever be able to take away or erase.

He closed by quipping in English, “And if you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”

Why did the NFL pick Bad Bunny?

The NFL didn’t hire Bad Bunny by accident, and executives had to know there would be a big right-wing backlash. As Wired’s Anna Lagos put it, this was “a calculated business move and a continuation of its strategy to rejuvenate and diversify its audience.” Lagos explained:

The league is aware that its traditional viewership base is aging. Attracting younger audiences and the growing Hispanic market is a business imperative. Bad Bunny, the most listened-to artist on Spotify worldwide from 2020 to 2022, represents the key to accessing that global market.

The NFL’s partnership with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, launched in 2019, was designed to do just that: inject cultural relevance into the halftime show, an event that had become predictable and artistically safe. Kendrick Lamar’s acclaimed and politically charged performance in 2024, which used American symbolism to deliver a blunt critique of racism, demonstrated that the NFL is willing to take calculated risks if the result is cultural relevance and global conversation.

By choosing Bad Bunny, the NFL not only secures a global superstar, but also aligns itself with a narrative of inclusion and representation.

So the NFL hasn’t canceled Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance?

No. Claims circulating online about the league calling off the performance and Coca-Cola pulling its sponsorship are false (the company hasn’t advertised at the game since 2020).

Are there any other Super Bowl 2026 controversies to be aware of?

There are rumors that Bad Bunny’s performance will feature Drake, but the potential revival of the “Not Like Us” 2025 Super Bowl drama is a matter for another explainer.