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NFL Faces Backlash Over Controversial Super Bowl Halftime Headliner

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Bad Bunny
Photo Credit: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The NFL’s pick for its biggest stage has already sparked outrage from loyal fans.

Three-time Grammy winner Bad Bunny was announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl LX halftime show, but not everyone is cheering.

The Puerto Rican superstar, whose career took off in 2016, has become a dominant figure in the music industry while also wading into politics with remarks about U.S. immigration enforcement.

Earlier this month, the performer revealed why he had avoided booking U.S. tour dates, pointing directly to concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“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,” he told i-D.

He admitted he worried ICE agents might target his fans, saying, “But there was the issue of — like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about.”

In June, the artist filmed what he described as ICE operations in Puerto Rico, sharing video of vehicles in Carolina, east of San Juan.

Speaking in Spanish, he accused agents of disrupting the community, calling them “motherf——s” and “sons of b——.”

Despite the controversy, Bad Bunny made clear he would appear on at least one U.S. stage.

He wrote on X, “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.”

That same day, the NFL unveiled him as the 2026 halftime headliner at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The performer, whose real name is Benito Martínez Ocasio, celebrated the announcement with a message to fans.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. 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,” he wrote.

“Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

The last line translated as: “Go tell your grandma we’re going to the SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW.”

Not everyone saw it as a triumph. Conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell accused the musician of hypocrisy.

“Bad Bunny said two weeks ago he won’t perform in the US because he’s scared ICE agents would deport his fans,” he tweeted. “Turns out his business sense far outweighs his moral convictions.”

Robby Starbuck, a conservative commentator, slammed the NFL for making a divisive choice.

“This is not a pick designed to unite football fans or let people just enjoy the show. It was a pick designed to divide fans and no doubt Bad Bunny will find some way to push a woke message,” he wrote on X.

He questioned whether NFL owners were “culturally that disconnected” and suggested the league could have chosen “a unifying music act who doesn’t want to peddle woke propaganda.”

Benny Johnson, another conservative commentator, claimed the league was “self-destructing year after year.”

On ABC’s The View, liberal hosts ridiculed critics of the NFL’s choice. Whoopi Goldberg dismissed outrage over Bad Bunny’s selection.

“Now, you know, he previously refused to do it, a national tour here in the U.S., because of the I.C.E. raids… He also has a history of speaking out against you-know-who,” she commented in reference to President Donald Trump.

“So a lot of the MAGA folks apparently are very upset with the NFL. But they’re upset all the time,” Goldberg continued.

“And, you know…another great American performer is going to be performing. I don’t see the problem. Because y’all do remember Puerto Rico is part of the United States.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin mocked critics who had asked for an “American” performer, replying, “They did! Oh, they did, though. He is truly an artist activist, and we haven’t seen that for quite some time, I think, and this is the time for that.”

“He said that he will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and competent leader. And so I think he’s talking about hurricane Maria,” she explained.

Ana Navarro piled on, suggesting that “MAGA people always think that everything is about them.”

She argued that the NFL was making a global push, saying, “They’ve been playing games in Brazil, playing games in London…Bad Bunny is an international superstar.”

Meanwhile, the performer himself appeared on Apple Music to discuss his reaction to being chosen.

“I’m really excited, but this is making me feel so happy [for] more than me, for everyone else,” he said.

“I’m really excited for my friends, my family, Puerto Rico, all the Latino people around the world. I’m excited about my culture. I’m excited about everything — not just for me. You know what I’m saying? It feels really good.”

He credited his work ethic for the opportunity, adding, “I’m always doing my best and working with so much passion and also I’m still working… I’m a rookie. I’m still hungry to conquer and to show what I can do to the people.”

“It’s crazy because I think everyone already knows what I’m capable of, but I still want to surprise and [say,], ‘Look, I can do this!’ That’s what I like, and I’m very grateful to live this moment with all my people.”

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