Jake Paul sparked backlash during the Super Bowl on Sunday after posting a series of messages on X criticizing Bad Bunny’s halftime performance and encouraging viewers to turn off the broadcast.
The influencer-turned-boxer publicly urged his followers to disengage from the halftime show, accusing the Puerto Rican superstar of misrepresenting American identity.
“Purposefully turning off the halftime show,” Paul wrote. “Let’s rally together and show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences (which equals viewership for them). You are their benefit. Realize you have power. Turn off this halftime. A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that.”
Paul’s comments drew additional attention due to his own ties to Puerto Rico. He and his brother, Logan Paul, relocated to the island in 2021, a move Logan previously said was largely motivated by tax incentives. Logan discussed the relocation in an interview with Graham Bensinger.
The controversy also revived earlier remarks Logan Paul made about Bad Bunny. In a 2022 appearance on the “Philip DeFranco Show,” Logan criticized the artist’s stance on tax programs in Puerto Rico.
“I do find it hypocritical because Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican, living in Puerto Rico, who is privately taking advantage of the same tax program that he is publicly condemning”.
Those comments followed the release of Bad Bunny’s documentary “El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente”, which focused on gentrification and displacement affecting local Puerto Ricans as wealthy outsiders move to the island under tax incentive programs.
Jake Paul has also drawn criticism in recent days for comments about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In another post on X, Paul suggested that people who criticize ICE should not rely on emergency services.
“If you don’t like ICE then you can’t call 911 when you’re in trouble,” Paul wrote. “If you don’t respect law enforcement agents then you shouldn’t depend on them.”
He later targeted singer Billie Eilish after she publicly criticized ICE during the 2026 Grammy Awards, posting a separate message aimed at the artist.
“When Billie Eyelash gets her home broken into it’s not gonna be f-ck ICE I can promise you that.”
Source: Variety