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Influencer-boxer Jake Paul just clarified why he called Bad Bunny a “fake American citizen” amid sharp criticism. Ahead of the Puerto Rican superstar’s Super Bowl 60 halftime show on Sunday, Paul took to X to explain why he wouldn’t be tuning in to the performance.
“Let’s rally together and show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences,” Paul wrote in a post.
“You are their benefit. Realize you have power.“
“Turn off this halftime,” he continued. “A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.”
Paul, who was recently spotted at the Winter Olympics with Vice President JD Vance, quickly faced backlash online, with many calling him hypocritical given he and his brother, Logan, had moved to Puerto Rico years ago for tax benefits and lifestyle reasons.
Logan also notably criticized his brother’s take, writing in response that “Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.”
Paul is now opening up about what exactly he meant amid the intense scrutiny.
“The problem with my tweet is the word fake being misinterpreted,” Paul wrote on X early Monday. “He’s not a fake citizen obviously [because he’s] 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,” he added, appearing to reference Bad Bunny’s criticism of the Trump administration over its sweeping immigration policies — most recently at the Grammys earlier this month.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” Bad Bunny said during his acceptance speech for album of the year.
In a follow-up post, Paul said that he did not call anyone “a ‘fake citizen’ because they’re from Puerto Rico.”
“I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so,” Paul wrote. “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.”
He added: “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.”
He then went on to joke, “Guys i love bad bunny idk what happened on my twitter last night ?? wtf.”
Bad Bunny — who performed hit songs including “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Nuevayol,” “DtMF” and “EoO” during his show — had made history during the championship game, becoming the first artist to sing mostly in Spanish in the NFL’s 60-year history. His performance paid tribute to Puerto Rico and brought the party to the most-watched sporting event in the United States.
Supporters and allies of Trump, and the president himself, had sharply criticized the concert in the minutes after it wrapped. Trump called the show “absolutely terrible” and “one of the worst, EVER!” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The 13-minute performance included surprise appearances from pop icon Lady Gaga and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ricky Martin. At one point, Bad Bunny gave shoutouts to Latin American countries, the United States and Canada, singing in front of a billboard that read, “THE ONLY THING MORE POWERFUL THAN HATE IS LOVE.”
Rachel Cohen; nj.com; (TNS) | ©2026 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
