Bad Bunny is set to take the stage as the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show in February, and it's not a secret that it has sparked opposition. But most of the world is on Benito's side, including Marc Anthony.
Born to Puerto Rican parents, Anthony has been one of the music influencers in Latin music for decades, and he knows about the pressure and responsibility that come with a global stage. He told Rolling Stone he shares the same piece of advice with him whenever they chat.
“I tell him to just be responsible with the risk [and] with the responsibility that he’s taking on, because I’m sure for him, he sees this as a massive responsibility to represent not only his culture, but his music," the "Vivir mi vida" singer said. "He’s going to work that much harder to bring an amazing show, and I’m looking forward to it."
Artists like Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bruno Mars, Jay-Z, Gloria Estefan, LeBron James, and more have also stood behind the Grammy winner.
Bad Bunny has spoken about what's to come, making it clear he's ready to represent Latinos in the United States. When he returned to Saturday Night Live earlier this month, he addressed his fans in Spanish during his monologue, saying, “More than being an accomplishment of mine, it’s an accomplishment for everybody, demonstrating that our mark and our contribution to this country will never be able to be removed or erased by anybody."
He went on to quip in English, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn.”
There has been some pushback from small but very loud voices, with a petition even making its rounds to replace him with George Strait. It has over 106k signatures.
While Donald Trump has said he has never heard of the singer, calling the NFL's decision "crazy," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made it crystal clear he’s not budging.
Earlier this month, when asked about the decision to pick Bad Bunny, he responded, “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world."
“That’s what we try to achieve. It’s an important stage for us… I think it’s going to be an exciting and uniting moment," he continued. Goodell also reminded people that every halftime show gets backlash.
Super Bowl LX is scheduled for Sunday, Feb 8, 2026, taking place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.