FCC requested transcripts of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance

The Puerto Rican superstar, 31, made history as the first artist to perform a halftime show entirely in Spanish CultureFCC requested transcripts of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performanceThe Puerto Rican superstar, 31, made history as the first artist to perform a halftime show entirely in SpanishDavid Shepardson Wednesday 18 February 2026 13:09 ESTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverHeartfelt moment Bad Bunny gives grammy to young boy during 2026 Super Bowl Halftime performanceYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sought transcripts of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show performance from Comcast's NBC, following concerns raised by a Republican lawmaker that the broadcast could violate federal indecency regulations. This development was confirmed by a commission member on Wednesday.FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez subsequently confirmed she had reviewed the Spanish-language transcripts. "I reviewed them carefully, and I found no violation of our rules and no justification for harassing broadcasters over a standard live performance," Gomez stated, dismissing the lawmaker's suggestion.Multiple Republican politicians expressed outrage at the Puerto Rican’s performance, done solely in Spanish. Florida Rep. Randy Fine took to X to deem Bad Bunny's performance "illegal," calling for the FCC investigate it. His post included screenshots of supposed translated lyrics of one of Bad Bunny's songs. “’Bad Bunny’s disgusting halftime show was illegal. Had he said these lyrics -- and all of the other disgusting and pornographic filth in English on live TV, the broadcast would have been pulled down and the fines would have been enormous,” Fine said. Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles mirrored Fine’s sentiment, saying that the "performance's lyrics openly glorified sodomy and countless other unspeakable depravities." The Puerto Rican superstar, 31, made history as the first artist to perform a halftime show entirely in Spanish, as well as becoming the first Latin solo act to take on one of the world’s most coveted gigs.open image in galleryThe Puerto Rican superstar, 31, made history as the first artist to perform a halftime show entirely in Spanish (AP)Toward the end of his set, Bad Bunny was handed a ball with the words, “Together, we are America” written on it, and a message on the big screen read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”open image in galleryAs Bad Bunny performed, a message was displayed on the stadium's scoreboards: 'The only thing more powerful than hate is love' (AFP via Getty Images)But the message of unity clearly did not go down well with the president.“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,” Trump raged.More aboutBad BunnyFCCbroadcastSuper BowlJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next