NFL will not reconsider Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show despite Trump backlash | Super Bowl LX
The NFL won’t abandon Bad Bunny as a Super Bowl halftime star, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday.
In doing so, Goodell reaffirmed his decision to put the Puerto Rican artist on the league’s biggest stage, which drew criticism from Donald Trump and some of his supporters.
Goodell addressed the controversy during his press conference following the annual fall owners’ meeting. This is the first time he has commented on a decision that has attracted worldwide attention, including an increase in streams of Bad Bunny’s music, as well as backlash.
“It’s carefully thought out,” Goodell said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist without some backlash or criticism. That’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people watching.”
Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a vocal opponent of Trump. He recently decided to complete a 31-day residency in Puerto Rico, avoiding stopovers on the U.S. mainland, citing concerns about the mass expulsion of Latinos.
The 31-year-old plays in Spanish and is expected to do so in the Super Bowl.
“We’re confident it’s going to be a great show,” Goodell said. “He understands the platform he’s on, and I think it’s going to be exciting and a moment of unity.”
The San Francisco 49ers will host the Super Bowl on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It’s unclear whether Trump plans to attend, although he has made in-person attendance at major sporting events a major part of his second term.
Trump, in an interview on the conservative news network Newsmax, said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.
“I don’t know who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t know why they’re doing this. It’s crazy. And then they’re blaming a promoter that they hired to provide entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Goodell defended the decision Wednesday, saying it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity.
“He is one of the most important and popular artists in the world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we’re trying to achieve. It’s an important step for us. It’s an important part of entertainment value.”
