Carlos Santana just became the latest casualty in the Bad Bunny Super Bowl war. Viral Facebook posts claimed the legendary guitarist slammed the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny as the 2026 halftime show headliner and was personally petitioning to replace him.
Carlos Santana Issues Statement Supporting Bad Bunny Super Bowl Performance
Carlos Santana Issues Statement Supporting Bad Bunny Super Bowl Performance (Screenshot Via X/@AccessBadBunny)
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer never said any of it. AI-generated trolling posts created the entire controversy, according to Santana’s manager Michael Vrionis. But the damage was done. Fans who believed the fake news turned on the 77-year-old icon, and now Santana is fighting back to clear his name.
Carlos Santana Issues Statement Supporting Bad Bunny Super Bowl Performance
Santana dropped a statement making his position crystal clear. “I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny’s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl,” he wrote. The guitarist didn’t stop there. He went after thepeople spreading lies about him with both barrels.
“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,” Santanaexplained.
Then he addressed the elephant in the room. “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.”
The fake stories didn’t just claim Santana criticized Bad Bunny. They said he took issue with the younger artist wearing a dress and was actively trying to replace him as the halftime performer. None of it was true. But in 2025, lies spread faster than facts ever could.
Santana praised Bad Bunny, saying he fully supports and celebrates the artist’s incredible rise and achievements. He added that he’s especially drawn to Bad Bunny’s song *“Monaco,”* calling it a truly magical piece of music.
His manager Vrionis cautioned fans to stay vigilant and avoid trusting unverified information, noting that even reputable sources can sometimes be deceived.
The AI-driven misinformation campaign had specifically targeted one of Latin music’s most esteemed artists to create discord surrounding the Super Bowl controversy.
Fans Turn on Carlos Santana Over Fake Bad Bunny Comments Before Learning the Truth
Once the fake Santana comments started circulating, social media went off. The backlash came fast and furious.
One angry fan wrote, “Santana, you are one of the greats, but I cannot get behind a bunny in a dress singing in a language other than English at our most prominent sporting event.” The comment reflected exactly what the trolls wanted to manufacture.
Another critic added, “He don’t sing in English. wtf.” The language barrier remains a sticking point for Bad Bunny’s harshest critics, who refuse to accept Spanish-language music at the Super Bowl regardless of his global success.
One disappointed fan made it personal. “Ur wrong Santana not u lost another fan of yours,” they noted. The comment shows how quickly public opinion can turn based on false information before anyone checks the facts.
A fourth response captured the divide over the counter-programming. “I laughed my ass off. If the halftime show is the biggest flop, I’ll be watching The Turning Point USA halftime show. At least I’ll be able to understand it,” they claimed.
The Santana situation exposes how easily misinformation weaponizes celebrity voices in cultural battles. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl gig has become a lightning rod for far-right criticism, with threats of ICE officers outside the stadium and Erika Kirk announcing Turning Point USA’s competing show. Trolls saw an opportunity to pit two Latin music legends against each other and ran with it.
Bad Bunny addressed the backlash head-on during his Saturday Night Live hosting gig, telling the audience they have “four months to learn” Spanish before his performance.
Meanwhile, Santana fights to clear his name from lies he never told. The Super Bowl halftime show is still four months away, but the cultural war over it just claimed another victim in the crossfire.