Logan Paul Defends Bad Bunny After Brother Jake Paul Turns Off Super Bowl Halftime Show in Protest: ‘Puerto Ricans Are Americans’

An online clash between two of the internet's most famous siblings has erupted, with WWE star Logan Paul publicly opposing his brother Jake Paul's campaign to boycott the Super Bowl Halftime Show. The boxer and content creator ignited the dispute on social media platform X, urging his followers to "purposefully turn off the halftime show" in protest of headliner Bad Bunny. He characterized the act as a statement of audience power, posting, "A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that."

Logan Paul, whose own social media empire and recent success in WWE have made him a major figure, swiftly countered with a blend of familial affection and clear dissent. "I love my brother, but I don’t agree with this," he stated. His reply doubled as a pointed civics correction, noting, "Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island." This defense highlights the unique political status of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory since the 1898 Treaty of Paris where residents have been granted birthright U.S. citizenship since 1917, a fact often overlooked in mainland discourse.

Facing immediate backlash, Jake Paul—who notably resides in Puerto Rico himself—later attempted to clarify his inflammatory comments. He asserted his "fake citizen" remark was not a denial of Puerto Rican identity but a reaction to Bad Bunny's past critiques of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). "To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a 'fake citizen' because they’re from Puerto Rico," Jake wrote. "But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it." He concluded by echoing the artist's own phrasing, writing, "And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Love America."

The heart of this fraternal debate stems directly from Bad Bunny's actions at last week's Grammy Awards. Upon winning Album of the Year for 'Un Verano Sin Ti', the global superstar—born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico—used his platform for a political declaration: "ICE out! We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans… The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love." This context made his Super Bowl slot, his only scheduled U.S. concert for 2024, particularly significant. His ongoing 'Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour' intentionally bypasses the United States, a decision the artist has linked to concerns over immigration enforcement. As media analyst Dr. Elena Ruiz notes, "This deliberate omission transforms a standard Halftime Show booking into a high-stakes, singular platform, forcing a conversation about inclusion and dissent directly into America's most-watched broadcast."

Bad Bunny had previously explained his tour routing to I-D magazine, citing specific fears about ICE operations. "Fucking ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about," he stated. This revelation underscores how the halftime performance became a cultural lightning rod, elevating a brothers' quarrel into a public examination of citizenship, the role of protest in art, and the substantial influence of Latino artists in defining modern American identity. The Paul brothers' dispute, therefore, reflects a much larger national conversation playing out through the prism of pop culture.