Danica Patrick Slammed For Saying Non-English Songs Should 'Not Be Allowed' At Super Bowl Halftime Show

Danica Patrick criticized Bad Bunny's Super Bowl LX halftime show booking, sparking backlash from fans who defended his global influence and Puerto Rican roots.

The famous singer has since expressed gratitude, calling the milestone a tribute to his people and culture. Fresh off a record-breaking residency in San Juan, he was praised by Jay-Z and NFL execs as an ideal choice.

The announcement aired on September 28, with Bad Bunny revealing that Jay-Z personally called him about the Super Bowl.

Patrick isn't exactly thrilled about the NFL's latest halftime show headliner.

The retired race car driver, 43, voiced her disapproval on X (formerly Twitter) after Bad Bunny was announced as the performer for Super Bowl LX.

"Oh fun," she wrote with an eye-roll emoji on September 29.

"No songs in English should not be allowed at one of America's highest-rated television events of the year… not just for sports," Patrick stated again.

Her comments sparked immediate backlash as fans reminded her that Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny's home, is part of the United States, while others highlighted his global reach.

Thousands of fans quickly called Patrick over her comments, claiming the former race car driver was being "ignorant."

"77.4 MILLION Monthly Listeners of Bad Bunny disagree," one user clapped back.

Another added, "Gatekeeping the Super Bowl is wild to me. It's a multicultural and globally-relevant event. Latino viewership and Spanish-language broadcasts are a big part of the show. It's going to be ok, Danica. You'll survive 20 mins of reggaetón."

A third person noted, "He's Puerto Rican, which is also a US territory that happened to speak Spanish. If you don't want people [to] speak in Spanish, maybe you shouldn't own Spanish-speaking territories."

One sarcastic comment read, "What are you gonna do about it? Threaten to drive NASCAR again?"

Another person wrote, "Your English grammar is terrible. I had to read this three times to understand what your talentless -ss was attempting to say. Maybe you should take some remedial English classes."

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, responded to the milestone announcement with gratitude.

"What I'm feeling goes beyond myself," the 31-year-old said in a statement released by the NFL. "It's for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history."

The Puerto Rican superstar is stepping onto the Super Bowl stage fresh from a history-making run in his homeland. He recently concluded a two-month residency in San Juan, capped with a record-breaking show livestreamed on Amazon Prime.

"What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring," Jay-Z said in a statement announcing the halftime show. "We are honored to have him on the world's biggest stage."

An NFL senior vice president echoed the sentiment, adding, "As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, (Bad Bunny's) unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage."

The announcement was officially revealed during the Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers Sunday Night Football game on September 28.

Reflecting on the moment, Bad Bunny admitted he had been keeping the secret for months.

"It felt good" to finally share the news, he said during Apple Music's "Halftime Headliner Special" with Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. "I was so emotional yesterday because it was the first time I showed the announcement video to one of my friends, and I saw his reaction, and he was so excited."

Bad Bunny also revealed he was in the middle of a workout when Jay-Z personally called to deliver the news.

"I remember that after the call, I just did like a hundred pull-ups," he laughed. "I didn't need more pre-workout … it was very special. It was so special."

In the announcement video, the reggaeton star paid homage to his Puerto Rican heritage, wearing a traditional pava hat while sitting on a goalpost by the ocean as his song "Callaíta" played.

He later revealed the beach was his "hometown beach, so it's a very special thing."

As for what fans can expect from his halftime show, Bad Bunny is keeping details under wraps but promised it will be a celebration of Latin music and culture.

"I'm really excited for my friends, my family, Puerto Rico, and all Latinos around the world," he said, per USA Today. "I'm going to embrace the moment. I'm going to show what we have, our music, our culture. I'm just going to the stage to enjoy (it) and have fun."

Super Bowl LX is set for Sunday, February 8, 2026.