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Rapper Bad Bunny responded to the backlash surrounding the NFL’s decision to book him for this year’s Super Bowl Halftime show as he kicked off the 51st season of “Saturday Night Live.”
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican native, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, said he was “excited” to be named the headlining act for the big game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in February, but urged critics they have “four months to learn” Spanish.
“I’m really excited to be doing the Super Bowl, I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” Bad Bunny said during Saturday’s monologue.
The rapper broke out his native tongue for a 30-second message before he sent a message to his critics.
“Especially all of the Latinos and Latinas in the world here in the United States who have worked to open doors,” he said in Spanish. “It’s more than a win for myself, it’s a win for all of us. Our footprints and our contribution in this country, no one will ever be able to take that away or erase it.”
The music producer teased the non-Spanish speakers, telling them they needed to study the language to enjoy the upcoming performance.
“If you didn’t understand what I just said. You have four months to learn,” he mockingly suggested.
During the monologue, SNL cut to an edited video montage of Fox News personalities and guests saying that “Bad Bunny is my favorite musician and he should be the next president.”
Many pundits and politicians called out the NFL’s decision to choose the 3-time Grammy winner after he refused to bring his tour to the US, fearing federal agents would be outside his concerts.
“But there was the issue of — like, f–king ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he told i-D last month.
Bad Bunny had recently completed a 31-show residency in Puerto Rico.
Trump administration officials clarified ICE agents would be at the Feb. 8, game, whether Bad Bunny liked it or not.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski said on “The Benny Show.” “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility, and deport you. Know that is a very real situation under this administration, which is contrary to how it used to be.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said NFL officials wouldn’t be able to sleep because of their decision in choosing Bad Bunny.
“They suck, and we’ll win, and God will bless us, and we’ll stand and be proud of ourselves at the end of the day,” Noem told conservative commentator Benny Johnson. “They won’t be able to sleep at night because they don’t know what they believe, and they’re so weak, we’ll fix it.”
“The Department of Homeland Security is responsible for keeping it safe,” she said. “So I have the responsibility for making sure everybody goes to the Super Bowl, has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America is about.”
Bad Bunny made his “SNL” debut on Oct. 21, 2023, serving as both host and musical guest for the show, before returning for last season’s finale on May 17 as a musical guest only.
