Super Bowl Halftime Shock: Bad Bunny’s Dress Choice Sparks National Outrage
By Mark Swanson | Friday, 23 January 2026 07:39 PM EST
Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny plans to wear a dress during his Super Bowl halftime show as a nod to LGBTQ icons and drag culture. The entertainer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was already a divisive choice for the NFL’s marquee event and faced widespread criticism from conservatives.
A source stated that the dress — paired with a fully Spanish-language performance — is intended as a deliberate provocation to fuel culture-war debates.
“He loves controversy,” a stylist involved in the rapper’s wardrobe said. “He lives to push envelopes. He is 100% going to wear a dress. A political thunderbolt disguised as couture.”
Another source added, “He’s not playing it safe. The NFL has no idea what’s coming. Zero.”
President Donald Trump criticized the selection in October, calling the rapper “absolutely ridiculous” and saying he had “never heard of him.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also condemned the NFL’s decision, stating: “Well, it sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience. There are so many eyes on the Super Bowl — a lot of young, impressionable children — and I think, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood or role models doing that.”
A source said, “Let them complain. The dress is already being sewn.”
In response, Turning Point USA announced plans for its own Super Bowl halftime event as counterprogramming to the official show, built around the theme of “faith, family, and freedom.”
The Super Bowl will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, following Sunday’s AFC and NFC conference championship games.
Mark Swanson has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
