Jay-Z has come to Bad Bunny’s defense amid backlash over his selection to headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show.
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation produces the halftime show, spoke in support of the musician while speaking to a TMZ videographer in New York City.
"They love him. Don’t let them fool you," he said about Bad Bunny.
Bad Bunny was announced as the performer for the next Super Bowl on September 28. Soon after, the announcement faced backlash from conservative politicians, including President Donald Trump.
"I’ve never heard of him," Trump declared in an interview with Newsmax. "I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy."
"I think it’s absolutely ridiculous," the president added.
Professional race car driver Danica Patrick also spoke against the rapper’s selection since he performs mostly in Spanish.
"Oh fun," Patrick, 42, wrote in an X post on September 29. "No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America’s highest rated television events of the year … not just for sports."
She doubled down on her statement during an appearance on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, saying, "I don’t have any problem with someone performing at halftime that is not from the United States, although Bad Bunny is technically a citizen because he was born in Puerto Rico."
"He wasn’t necessarily born in America. I don’t care where you’re actually born. What I care about is that I can sing along to the music. His music is almost nothing in English," she said.