Year in Review 2025: Bad Bunny Braves Super Backlash Over Super Bowl Halftime Show

Be it for the good, bad, ugly, or downright shocking, 2025 was full of monumentally memorable moments!

Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next up, we look back at the controversy surrounding the announcement of Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.

Join us after the jump.

Bad Bunny may be one of the globe’s hottest superstars, but after the NFL’s September announcement the Latin music megastar would headline the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, it sparked an unexpected mix of praise, backlash, and political debate.

While Bunny addressed the controversy with humor and pride when he appeared on SNL weeks after being unveiled as the spectacle’s headliner, it didn’t stop public criticism coming from figures such as President Donald Trump and right-wing pundits like Eric Dickerson (who boldly suggested the Puerto Rican star just say in his homeland).

Let’s look back on what has become one of the most polarizing and talked about Super Bowl halftime lineups in history.

TGJ Year in Review 2025: Bad Bunny Super Bowl Backlash

Political Reactions

Donald Trump Weighs In on Bad Bunny Headlining the Super Bowl

MAGA Promises Super Bowl Alternative Due to Bad Bunny

Football legend Eric Dickerson Blasts NFL Over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show

Trump Advisor Announces ICE Will Be at the Super Bowl Due to Bad Bunny

Petitions to Boot Bad Bunny from Super Bowl Blast Past 70,000 Signatures

Celebrity Reactions

Fellow Latin Superstar Shakira Weighs in on Bad Bunny Controversy

Jennifer Lopez Talks Bad Bunny & Super Bowl Drama

Carlos Santana Denies Shading Bad Bunny Over Super Bowl

JAY-Z Opens Up About Bad Bunny Super Bowl Controversy

The Super Bowl is set to air live from San Francisco on February 8, 2026.