...
By Melissa Fleur Afshar
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
A rumor that Bad Bunny was planning to wear a dress during his upcoming Super Bowl LX halftime performance has sparked fury online, though the Radar Online report has since been taken down.
When Bad Bunny was announced as the halftime performer for the Super Bowl in September, the move garnered significant pushback from the right, including from President Donald Trump, who called it "absolutely ridiculous."
The criticism led to the NFL defending the move and saying they were sticking with the performer just one month after the announcement.
Read More on Entertainment
The Puerto Rican star has worn dresses in highly visible situations before, but despite significant speculation about what will be worn in the Super Bowl performance, the final costume has not been confirmed by Bad Bunny or the NFL.
Newsweek reached out to Bad Bunny's representative for comment on Friday.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance
The 2026 Super Bowl will take place on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game will feature the New England Patriots facing off with the Seattle Seahawks.
Rumors surrounding Bad Bunny’s halftime show wardrobe have continued to intensify as the performance has gotten closer, often fueled by critics who say he will politicize the event.
As online debate grows, the suggestion that Bad Bunny—whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio—could wear a dress become the latest flashpoint in an already tense lead-up to the game.
Reactions online have been polarizing.
On X, right-leaning media personality Jon Root said: “As if the Super Bowl halftime show couldn’t get any worse, Bad Bunny is planning on wearing a dress to ‘honor queers.’ If you weren’t planning already, you should boycott the halftime show. Shame on you @nflcommish for allowing this nonsense.”
His post has been viewed more than 7,000 times.
Prediction market Polymarket Football posted to its followers: “Bad Bunny plans to wear a dress during his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. This will easily be the lowest viewed halftime show of all time,” in a post viewed over 106,000 times.
The Rev. Jordan Wells, a pastor and conservative commentator, added to the criticism: “This is exactly why I'm skipping the game this year. The NFL went full woke—picked a guy who's turning the biggest football stage into a pride parade. Football used to be about touchdowns, not drag tributes. Who's with me? Boycotting the halftime show—or the whole thing?” Wells' post has been viewed more than 4,800 times, receiving more than 270 likes.
The speculation comes after a highly successful year for 31-year-old Bad Bunny, whose 2025 album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS dominated charts, has been praised by critics, and has reinforced his standing as one of music’s most influential figures.
His accolades include three Grammy Awards and 17 Latin Grammy Awards. He sings almost exclusively in Spanish and is credited with boosting the international popularity of Spanish-language rap.
Earlier Controversy Among Conservatives
Despite his superstardom, tensions over his upcoming Super Bowl performance began months before discussions about his wardrobe occurred.
When the NFL announced Bad Bunny as a halftime show performer last fall, there was significant backlash from MAGA supporters, including Trump. He called the choice “crazy” in an interview with Newsmax.
A number of critics accused the NFL of making a political choice, with several pledging to boycott the show in response.
The criticism followed Bad Bunny’s candid comments about avoiding popular U.S. tour stops, citing concerns about the treatment of Latinos and immigration enforcement by the Trump administration.
...
His stance quickly drew national attention and added political weight to his already prominent public image.
Despite the backlash, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made clear the league would not reconsider the decision to feature the Puerto Rican star.
Speaking at the October news conference, he said, “The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny. It’s carefully thought through. I’m not sure we’ve ever selected an artist where we didn’t have some blowback or criticism. It’s pretty hard to do when you have literally hundreds of millions of people that are watching.”
Goodell also emphasized the importance of reflecting the NFL’s broad audience.
He described Bad Bunny as “one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world."
Corrected 1/26/2026 12:30 p.m. ET: This article has been corrected to clarify that Bad Bunny's wardrobe choice for the Super Bowl has not been confirmed.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines