Jennifer Lopez wants NFL fans to give Bad Bunny a chance.
The Puerto Rican rapper was announced as the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show performer, and there has been backlash about him being the headliner. The complaints have mostly been about the fact that Bad Bunny's songs are primarily in Spanish, with football fans on social media even calling for an alternate Super Bowl halftime show.
Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is rallying behind Bad Bunny, who was a special guest during her Super Bowl co-headlining performance with Shakira in 2020.
“Music and art transcends language. It doesn't matter. He's done that probably more than anybody of any generation,” the “On The Floor” singer said during her appearance on CBS Mornings on Thursday, Oct. 9. “The Super Bowl is great because it introduces you to people that don't know you. I'm sure there was people that didn't know me or Shakira or weren't fans of ours.”
After her time on the Super Bowl stage five years ago with Shakira, she told viewers that her performance gave her the opportunity to gain new fans and introduce them to her music. This is something that she is hopeful will happen to Bad Bunny.
“But when they saw us, [they said] ‘Oh! That's what they do.' It's an opportunity to show people who you are, what you're about, what you believe in. It's a big platform for artists. It's probably the biggest stage that you could hope to be on. And I think it's wonderful that people will get exposed to him who don't know him.”
She added that fans should not be close minded to the opportunity to be exposed to Bad Bunny's artistry.
“Don't do that to yourself. That's what I would say. I'm telling you, just give it a chance,” she said.
Jennifer Lopez defends Bad Bunny
This is not the first time that Lopez has rooted for Bad Bunny publicly. During an appearance on the Today show this week she was confused why people were so upset about him being the Super Bowl halftime performer since he is “one of the top artists in the world right now.”
Bad Bunny has remained positive including the Trump administration threatening NFL fans that ICE would be present during the Super Bowl and with President Donald Trump sharing his own opinion on the NFL's decision. The “Monaco” artist also made light of people on social media being annoyed that his songs are primarily in Spanish when he hosted Saturday Night Live last week. Despite everything, he understands what being on that stage means for his culture.
“What I'm feeling goes beyond myself,” he said in a statement following the Super Bowl halftime show announcement. “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.”
Super Bowl 2026 will be held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Feb. 8.
