Jake Paul initially expressed a provocative opinion regarding Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, later trying to retract his statements after facing widespread criticism. On his X (formerly Twitter) platform, Paul started sharing his views on the internationally renowned artist’s much-debated performance during the Super Bowl event, declaring:
“Purposefully turning off the halftime show Let’s rally together and show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences (which equals viewership for them) You are their benefit. Realize you have power. Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.”
In response to his initial post, users provided additional information for clarification: Residents of Puerto Rico have held US citizenship status since 1917. Furthermore, Jake Paul himself, having resided in Puerto Rico since 2021, is also considered a US citizen. The fighter-turned-influencer then sought to elaborate on his position through a series of follow-up posts, asserting:
“The problem with my tweet is the word fake being misinterpreted he’s not a fake citizen obviously bc hes Puerto Rican and I love Puerto Rico and all Americans who support the country Moreso Bunny is fake bc of his values and criticism of our great country.”
“To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a “fake citizen” because they’re from Puerto Rico. I live in Puerto Rico, and I love Puerto Rico. I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so. But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it. Period.”
“That’s the same reason I called out Hunter Hess. If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Love America.”
Jake Paul declares “I love Bad Bunny” subsequent to widespread criticism for his Super Bowl halftime show remarks
Jake Paul shifted his stance considerably after an onslaught of online backlash, which notably included his brother, Logan Paul, separating himself from the remarks concerning Bad Bunny, with ‘The Problem Child’ humorously tweeting:
“Guys i love bad bunny idk what happened on my twitter last night ?? wtf”
The ongoing dispute also prompted reactions from Amanda Serrano, a boxer prominently managed by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions for an extended period. As a proud Puerto Rican, Serrano openly disputed many of the viewpoints Paul had put forth.
