Felix Upton on February 9, 2026
Jake Paul is now backpedaling after his explosive call to boycott Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show—and he’s blaming the backlash on a misunderstood word.
After getting backlash for calling the Puerto Rican Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner a “fake American citizen,” Paul took to Twitter on February 9 to clarify what he meant, saying his issue isn’t about Puerto Rican identity—but about publicly criticizing the United States.
“To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a ‘fake citizen’ because they’re from Puerto Rico. I live in Puerto Rico, and I love Puerto Rico. I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so.”
Jake claimed his issue wasn’t with Bad Bunny’s heritage—but with what he described as the artist’s criticism of U.S. institutions like ICE.
“But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it. Period. That’s the same reason I called out Hunter Hess. If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen.”
Paul went on to admit that the wording in his original tweet might’ve created confusion. But he didn’t completely back off the criticism—doubling down on his belief that Bad Bunny’s values don’t align with what he believes America stands for.
“The problem with my tweet is the word fake being misinterpreted. He’s not a fake citizen obviously ’cause he’s Puerto Rican and I love Puerto Rico and all Americans who support the country. Moreso, Bunny is fake because of his values and criticism of our great country.”
The clarification comes after Jake’s brother, Logan Paul, publicly rejected the boycott narrative. Logan praised Puerto Rican representation at the Super Bowl.
“I love my brother but I don’t agree with this. Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.”
Bad Bunny’s performance, packed with Latin flair and global hits, may be over—but Jake’s words are still leading to a lot of discussions. Jake may be trying to clarify now, but it’s clear the Super Bowl controversy isn’t fading anytime soon.
Do you think Jake Paul’s explanation clears the air—or is he just trying to walk back a statement that went too far? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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