Nfl Will Not Reconsider Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Half-time Show Despite Trump Backlash

The NFL is not considering dropping Bad Bunny arsenic its Super Bowl half-time header performer, commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday, reaffirming a determination to put nan Grammy-winning Puerto Rican creator on nan league’s biggest stage that led to disapproval from US president Donald Trump and immoderate of his supporters.

Goodell addressed nan Bad Bunny contention astatine his news convention pursuing nan yearly autumn owners meeting. It is nan first clip he has commented connected nan move announced successful precocious September that garnered worldwide attention, including an summation successful streams of Bad Bunny’s music, on pinch backlash.

“It’s cautiously thought through,” Goodell said. “I’m not judge we’ve ever selected an creator wherever we didn’t person immoderate blowback aliases criticism. It’s beautiful difficult to do erstwhile you person virtually hundreds of millions of group that are watching.”

The 31-year-old calved Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio has been vocal successful his guidance to Trump and his policies. He decided to do a 31-day residency successful Puerto Rico, avoiding stops successful nan mainland US, citing concerns astir nan wide deportation of Latinos.

He performs successful Spanish and is expected to do truthful astatine nan Super Bowl.

“We’re assured it’s going to beryllium a awesome show,” Goodell said. “He understands nan level that he’s on, and I deliberation it’s going to beryllium breathtaking and a agreed moment.”

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting nan Super Bowl connected 8 February astatine Levi’s Stadium successful Santa Clara, California. It is unclear if Trump plans to beryllium there, though he has made appearing successful personification astatine awesome sporting events a important portion of his 2nd word successful nan White House.

Trump successful an question and reply connected blimpish news web Newsmax said he had “never heard of” Bad Bunny.

“I don’t cognize who he is,” Trump said. “I don’t cognize why they’re doing it. It’s, like, crazy. And past they blasted it connected immoderate promoter they hired to prime up entertainment. I deliberation it’s perfectly ridiculous.”

Goodell defended nan determination connected Wednesday, explaining it was made because of Bad Bunny’s immense popularity.

“He’s 1 of nan starring and astir celebrated entertainers successful nan world,” Goodell said. “That’s what we effort to achieve. It’s an important shape for us. It’s an important constituent to nan intermezo value.”