Jake Paul surely knows one or two things about garnering attention through social media antics. And now he faces backlash for his comments on Puerto Rican sensation, Bad Bunny, during the Super Bowl LX half-time show. But ‘The Problem Child’ has clarified the reasons behind his claims, as he doubled down on his stance on ICE.

The backlash against Paul particularly stemmed after he publicly branded Bad Bunny as a “Fake American Citizen” on his X handle. In the aftermath, along with the netizens, even his close friends, such as Amanda Serrano and Claressa Shields, spoke against him. “Please, Jake, not today. Puerto Ricans are not fake citizens,” Shields said on X. Shortly after, Paul also provided his clarification.

Jake Paul clarifies “Fake Citizen” remark during Super Bowl LX halftime

“The problem with my tweet is the word fake being misinterpreted. He’s not a fake citizen obviously, because he’s Puerto Rican, and I love Puerto Rico and all Americans who support the country,” wrote Jake Paul on X.  “Moreso, Bunny is fake because of his values and criticism of our great country.”

‘The Problem Child’ and Bad Bunny are known to have shared a long-standing beef. And that beef primarily came into action with the rapper criticizing ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).

“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,” Paul continued. “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.”

Paul’s original post on X said, “Purposefully turning off the halftime show… Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.” And one of the biggest names to respond was his MVP stablemate, Amanda Serrano.

A “proud Boricua,” the Carolina-born champion wrote on X, “Puerto Ricans are not “fake Americans.” We are citizens who have contributed to this country in every field, from military service to sports, business, science, and the arts, and our identity and citizenship deserve respect.”

Giving credits where it is due, she added, “I would not have the opportunities I have today without the support and belief that Most Valuable Promotions and Jake Paul showed in me, and I will always be grateful… At the same time, I want to be clear: I do not agree with statements that question the legitimacy or identity of Puerto Rican people, and I cannot support that characterization. It is wrong.”

The Super Bowl halftime show was already a topic of heated debates, owing to the political scene in the country. As an alternative to Bad Bunny, there was an ‘All-American’ halftime show from Turning Point USA, featuring the likes of Kid Rock and Brantley Gilbert. They garnered about five to six million views on YouTube, while the Bad Bunny-led NFL show crossed the hunderd million barrier handily.

While Paul surely had his reasons to take a dig at Bad Bunny, he immediately received backlash from several individuals. And one such reaction against Paul’s comments was from his own brother.

Logan Paul ditches Jake Paul over Bad Bunny dig

Bad Bunny was performing live during the Super Bowl LX half time show. But Jake Paul came in with his brutal dig out of nowhere. While the severity of the dig in Jake’s eyes was quite normal, his brother, Logan Paul, seemingly didn’t like that.

“I love my brother, but I don’t agree with this,” wrote Logan on X. “Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.”

Now that ‘The Problem Child’ clarified his intention to target Bad Bunny, and not the Puerto Rican community as a whole, it hopefully does not strain Jake’s relationship with his close associates. On that note, with the Super Bowl over, the controversy should hopefully fade away soon!