Bad Bunny made history on Sunday night as the first male solo Latin artist to perform the Super Bowl halftime show, as well as the first to perform their set entirely in Spanish.
He made global headlines with his show – even attracting the ire of Donald Trump who called the performance ‘one of the worst ever’ and a ‘slap in the face’ to America.
The US President said the rapper’s gig was ‘absolutely terrible’ and that there was ‘nothing inspirational’ about choosing a star who didn’t perform in English.
However, the Puerto Rican megastar’s rise to fame is inspirational, with Bad Bunny going from bagging groceries to a supermarket to the world’s most-streamed artist on Spotify in a decade.
At 31-years-old, he is now a generational figure and a beloved activist for celebrating his culture and sharing the voices of his people worldwide.
Despite being worth $100 million (£73M) and having high-profile romances with the likes of Kendal Jenner, Bad Bunny came from humble beginnings.
Here’s a look at how he went from a college student trying to make ends meet to headlining the Super Bowl LX.
On Sunday, Bad Bunny blew away fans as he headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show – however not everyone was impressed – with Trump labelling it a ‘slap in the face to America’
The Puerto Rican megastar’s rise to fame is inspirational, with Bad Bunny going from bagging groceries to a supermarket to the world’s most-streamed artist on Spotify in a decade (pictured in his Tití Me Preguntó music video)
Bad Bunny was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, on March 10, 1994.
He performs under the stage name ‘Bad Bunny’ due to a childhood photo of him in a bunny costume.
Appearing on the Today show in 2025, he told Willie Geist: ‘It’s funny because I always say that I was mad that day on that picture.
‘There’s no bad bunnies, I think. Even a bad bunny is gonna look like a good bunny.
‘So it fit perfect on me because I could be bad, I could be good.’
His father worked as a truck driver, while his mother taught English. He has two younger brothers, Bernie and Bysael.
During a January 2025 interview with Apple Music, Bad Bunny shared that he had a ‘very happy childhood’.
He added that his parents ‘worked so hard’ to give ‘everything’ to him and his brothers.
Bad Bunny was born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, on March 10, 1994
He performs under the stage name ‘Bad Bunny’ due to a childhood photo of him in a bunny costume
Up until the age of 13, he sang in the choir of his local Catholic church before going on to make his own music in his room and free-styling at school.
After graduating from high school, Bad Bunny enrolled in the audiovisual-communications program at the University of Puerto Rico’s Arecibo campus.
During this time, he worked as a grocery bagger at a local Econo supermarket and started sharing his music on SoundCloud, gaining more attention in 2016.
Despite not being signed to a major record label, he quickly found manager Noah Assad and was releasing more singles and music videos on YouTube.
By 2017, his songs Pa Ti, Loco Pero Millonario and Sensualidad became hits, and he was featured on songs such as I Like It with Cardi B and J Balvin, which would later become No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
With his international success, the following year, he opened The Good Bunny Foundation with a mission to empower talented youth in Puerto Rico through music, arts, and sports programs.
‘It’s not about the money all the time,’ the King of Latin Trap told in November 2023. ‘In the absence of the government, it is artists that end up fulfilling those roles.’
Bad Bunny’s breakthrough album Un Verano Sin Ti won a Grammy and was even a special guest for Shakira and Jennifer Lopez’s 2020 Super Bowl halftime show.
After graduating from high school, Bad Bunny enrolled in the audiovisual-communications program at the University of Puerto Rico’s Arecibo campus (pictured in 2017)
By 2017, his songs Pa Ti, Loco Pero Millonario and Sensualidad became hits, and he was featured on songs such as I Like It with Cardi B and J Balvin, which would later become No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (pictured in 2017)
With over 8 billion streams on the platform, he was named Spotify’s Artist of the Year.
That year, he celebrated women and the LGBTQ+ community by dressing up in drag for his music video Yo Perreo Sola.
‘Everybody has to feel comfortable with what they are and how they feel,’ Bad Bunny told GQ in 2022.
‘To me, a dress is a dress. If I wear a dress, would it stop being a woman’s dress? Or vice versa? Like, no. It’s a dress, and that’s it. It’s not a man’s, it’s not a woman’s. It’s a dress.’
Away from the stage, Bad Bunny is also a talented wrestler, having won the WWE 24/7 Championship in 2021 after making his in-ring wresting debut at WrestleMania 37.
His creative director Janthony Oliveras, previously said of the star’s commitment to the sport: ‘I know it’s always been his dream.
‘He stopped doing everything else. He’s always making music, but he stopped. He stopped doing everything to dedicate himself to this 100 per cent.
He told GQ: ‘He trained twice a day, working on his technique, his body. It was like – since he blew up and started touring – it was the biggest change I’d seen.’
Away from the stage, Bad Bunny is also a talented wrestler, having won the WWE 24/7 Championship in 2021 after making his in-ring wresting debut at WrestleMania 37 (pictured in 2023)
Bad Bunny’s last high-profile romance was with Kendall Jenner.
The pair first sparked dating rumours in early 2023 and confirmed their relationship shortly afterward when they were spotted sharing a kiss following a sushi date in Los Angeles.
By December 2023, multiple outlets reported that the pair had gone their separate ways.
Sources previously told Us Weekly that Jenner saw long-term potential with Bad Bunny, describing him as ‘the complete package’ and praising his confidence and how well he fit in with her friends.
However, insiders later told People and Entertainment Tonight that the relationship gradually fizzled due to demanding schedules and a mutual understanding that it was unlikely to be permanent.
‘They have crazy busy schedules and know they’re still young and have a lot more to experience individually before settling down,’ an insider told ET, at the time.
The source added that there ‘isn’t any negativity between them and they still want the best for one another.’
The insider revealed The Kardashians star’s ‘family still thinks highly of him.’
‘They just want her to be with whoever makes her happy, treats her with love and respect.’
Bad Bunny’s last high-profile romance was with Kendall Jenner (pictured May 2023)
Prior to dating Kendall, Bad Bunny was in a long-term relationship with jewellery designer Gabriela Berlingeri from 2017 to 2022.
In 2025, Bad Bunny released his most critically acclaimed album yet, DeBI TiRAR MaS FOToS.
The album, which translates to I Should Have Taken More Photos in English, is a celebratory love letter to Puerto Ricans and their culture.
His most recent tour, No Me Quiero Ir de Aqu,i was a sold-out 30-night residency which generated more than $200 million for Puerto Rico’s economy.
At the 2026 Grammys, Bad Bunny accepted the top honour of the night as his name was read out for Album of the Year.
The global superstar beat out a very competitive field as he took home the gong for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, which was the first time a Spanish-language album has earned the honour.
The star made a strong statement against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as he accepted the award during his speech, which was primarily in Spanish.
He sent a powerful message as he said: ‘I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country, to follow their dreams.’
At the 2026 Grammys, Bad Bunny accepted the top honour of the night as his name was read out for Album of the Year
The global superstar beat out a very competitive field as he took home Best Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS
Many artists at the event wore ‘ICE out’ pins in protest of the controversial agency after the killings of Keith Porter in LA and Renée Good and the VA ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of its agents (ICE agents are seen in St. Paul, Minnesota)
That was not his only political statement, as earlier in the night, the artist’s first words were ‘ICE out’ when he hit the podium to accept Best Música Urbana Album for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.
The NUEVAYoL hitmaker said: ‘Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ICE Out.’
He received a massive ovation from the crowd before he continued his speech by saying that immigrants and Puerto Ricans are not savage, animals, or aliens and that they are in fact, Americans.
Bad Bunny continued by saying not to be consumed by hate as he urged others to combat hate with love.
‘The hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.
‘So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love. Yeah. We don’t hate them, we love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love. Don’t forget that, please. Thank you. Thank you, god! And thank you to The Academy,’ he concluded.
As of 2026, Bad Bunny has six Grammy Awards, 17 Latin Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards and a parade of trophies from BMI Latin Awards and ASCAP Latin Awards.
On Sunday, Bad Bunny performed at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for Super Bowl LX, where the Seattle Seahawks trounced the New England Patriots by 29–13, marking just the second Super Bowl win for the Seahawks.
On Sunday, Bad Bunny performed at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for Super Bowl LX, where the Seattle Seahawks trounced the New England Patriots by 29–13, marking just the second Super Bowl win for the Seahawks
His 13-minute set transformed the field into a vivid tribute to Puerto Rico, complete with sugar cane imagery, traditional cultural references, and dancers wearing iconic pava hats.
Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish – as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists.
Surprise appearances by global icons Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin electrified the stadium and reinforced the show’s celebration of Puerto Rican culture and global Latin music.
At one dramatic moment, dancers marched across the field carrying flags from countries across North, Central, and South America, culminating in a powerful display of cultural unity.
Bad Bunny delivered a rare English message during the performance, declaring, ‘God Bless America,’ before naming countries across the Americas and highlighting his Puerto Rican heritage.
President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, branding the spectacle ‘one of the worst, EVER!’
Trump’s post ignited a furious backlash among MAGA loyalists who accused the NFL of disrespecting America on its biggest stage
President Donald Trump unleashed a blistering attack on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, branding the spectacle ‘one of the worst, EVER!’
Trump’s post ignited a furious backlash among MAGA loyalists who accused the NFL of disrespecting America on its biggest stage.
‘The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER!’ Trump wrote.
‘It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence.’
Trump went further, accusing the performance of alienating American audiences.
‘Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the World,’ he wrote.
‘This ‘Show’ is just a ‘slap in the face’ to our Country.’
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