Bad Bunny is officially locked in as the headliner for next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, but his spot hasn’t come without backlash.
The Puerto Rican superstar’s announcement was met with celebration from fans, while some conservative voices online framed his involvement as controversial. The criticism spans cultural complaints and warnings of ICE presence at the stadium during the game.
Still, Bad Bunny hasn’t been rattled. While hosting Saturday Night Live, he even joked with the audience, telling them they had “four months to learn” Spanish before the big performance.
As online debates picked up, legendary guitarist Carlos Santana unexpectedly became part of the conversation.
According to Rolling Stone, viral posts circulating on Facebook claimed Santana had criticized Bad Bunny for wearing a dress and had even started a petition to replace him as the halftime performer. Those claims quickly spread, but they weren’t true.
In a statement to the outlet, Santana directly addressed the rumors. “I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny’s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl,” he said. “I feel total oneness with what he’s doing because we are here to utilize art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness.”
He went on to clarify that he never spoke out against the younger artist: “Fear is what motivates ignorant people to put words in my mouth—saying that I didn’t want Bad Bunny to be represented at the Super Bowl. I never said that, nor would I ever.”
Santana also praised Bad Bunny’s music, noting that he can’t stop playing the track “Monaco” and calling it “really magical.” He urged those spreading the false stories to “do something more creative with their energy.”
Santana’s manager, Michael Vrionis, echoed the guitarist’s words, adding that some of the rumors were the result of AI-generated trolling. “Don’t rely on random or unverified posts,” Vrionis said. “Even well-meaning outlets can get misled.”
