Bad Bunny made history by headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show entirely in Spanish. But instead of applause, the Puerto Rican rapper and singer faced backlash on social media for an alleged act that sparked anti-American sentiments. It all began when claims circulated that he burned the national flag during his performance at Levi’s Stadium. So, did he do it? Here’s what actually happened on the biggest stage.

A closer look at Bad Bunny’s halftime performance on February 8 made it crystal clear that he didn’t burn the American flag. Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, he did ‌quite the opposite by paying homage to both the American legacy and his Latin roots. At the end of his set, the 31-year-old held the football and said, “God bless America.”

Behind him were several performers waving flags of multiple Latin American countries, while he himself proudly carried the Puerto Rican flag earlier in the act. He waved it as the camera followed him through a maze-like setup. As his performance neared its end, he gave a shout-out to countries whose flags were there before hitting the ball on the ground to mimic a touchdown.

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So, where did the claim about burning the American flag come from?

The root cause of the whole controversy was a viral picture that first appeared on Facebook just hours before the final. It showed the Grammy-winning singer wearing a striped blue outfit and setting the American flag on fire with a lighter. It was posted by an account named Qbanguy, whose bio suggests it shares AI-generated satire and memes. 

“Bad Bunny was caught on stage last night preparing for his Super Bowl Halftime show,” the post’s caption reads. “Are you excited about his performance? He’s the biggest artist in the world, and he does NOT support ICE, and thinks America is going backwards. I guess much like most celebrities.” 

So clearly, it was an artificially generated image and carried a watermark.

Google Gemini’s SynthID system, which detects AI-generated content, also confirmed that the image came into being using Google’s own AI tools. In short, Bad Bunny’s halftime performance was all about cultural representation, not flag-burning.

It seems like critics who fell for the hoax, along with people who earlier called him out for sitting down during the national anthem, missed what the act actually stood for.

Bad Bunny pays tribute to his Latin roots, encourages unity

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show was a heartwarming tribute to his native land of Puerto Rico. He kept the country at the heart of his 14-minute performance, which saw plenty of surprise appearances by big names. These include singers Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Karol G, and Ricky Martin. It also featured celebrity cameos from Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba. 

The crowd at Levi’s Stadium saw many of the stars from the lineup grooving around his familiar casita set. It’s a recurring stage design inspired by a traditional Puerto Rican home. He used sugarcane fields to honor the landscape of his hometown, Vega Baja. Moreover, he honored victims of Hurricane Maria by climbing an electrical tower.

He sported a sweater marked “64” to acknowledge the death toll and highlight the limited federal response at the time. Interestingly, many expected the singer to use the platform to speak against the current U.S. administration over its anti-immigration stance and actions.

Instead, his act focused on a broader message of unity. It featured a Latin-inspired world with sets based on a nail salon and a neighborhood bar. He also delivered Spanish hits such as Tití Me Preguntó, MONACO, and BAILE INolvidable. Overall, he blended culture with spectacle. Meanwhile, he flashed two messages in English to stress his message of harmony.

“The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” one read, while another went like, “Together, We Are America.”

In the end, Bad Bunny used the Super Bowl spotlight not to divide. He used it to honor his home and call for unity through culture and love.