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Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana has shut down posts claiming he condemned Bad Bunny’s booking as next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show act.
Viral posts online alleged that Santana disapproved of the Puerto Rican superstar’s performance, with some claiming he even petitioned to have him replaced.
His manager, Michael Vrionis, claimed the posts were AI-generated. “AI has accelerated the spread of misinformation, making it harder for the truth to break through the noise,” said Vrionis in a statement. “Don’t rely on random or unverified posts — even well-meaning outlets can get misled.”
In a statement of his own shared with Billboard Español, 77-year-old Santana vehemently denied the claims, writing: “I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny’s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl. I feel total oneness with what he’s doing because we are here to utilize art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness.
“However, we’re living in a time of fear, division, separation, superiority and inferiority. Fear is the flavor right now,” he continued.
Carlos Santana denied claims he opposed Bad Bunny as Super Bowl Halftime performer
Carlos Santana denied claims he opposed Bad Bunny as Super Bowl Halftime performer (Getty)
“Fear is what motivates ignorant people to put words in my mouth – saying that I didn’t want Bad Bunny to be represented at the Super Bowl. I never said that, nor would I ever. Just to be clear, my heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny, and I celebrate his success, his triumph and his phenomenal achievement. Anything other than that is coming from people’s ignorance.”
“We’re living in a time when hostile forces love to create conflict, separation and division, because the hostile forces don’t like unity, harmony, oneness and joy. They want people to be miserable and to spend too much time in their minds. I spend a lot of time in my heart, and in my heart I celebrate Bad Bunny. I can’t stop playing his song ‘Monaco’ — there’s something really magical about it.”
Santana’s statement comes amid MAGA backlash against Bad Bunny’s booking. President Donald Trump’s supporters have labeled the Puerto Rican singer and rapper, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, a “massive Trump hater,” an “anti-ICE activist,” and slammed him for having “no songs in English.”
Trump has also condemned the NFL’s decision, claiming he’s never heard of Bad Bunny.
Last year, Santana released a statement on his Facebook page to clarify that he was not supporting either candidate in the 2024 US presidential election. “I would like everyone to know, despite some incorrect reports, I am not endorsing either one. But it is a lie that I endorsed Trump,” he shared.
Bad Bunny, one of the most-streamed artists globally, has been a longtime critic of Trump and his administration’s immigration raids.
Last month, the “DtMF” hitmaker said his decision not to play any tour dates in the mainland U.S. was partly due to his fears that ICE would target fans at his concerts.