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Was Bad Bunny fined $10 million by FCC over Super Bowl performance? Here's the truth
Viral posts falsely claimed Bad Bunny was fined $10M by the FCC over his Super Bowl 60 show. However, no probe or fine has been announced.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl 60 halftime performance has been mired in controversy amid the backlash from the MAGA camp. So much so, that a group of GOP lawmakers has called for a probe into it, alleging it was "illegal" and "vulgar." Amid that, a claim went viral that the Puerto Rican singer was fined $10 million by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the halftime show.
However, HT.com can confirm that the claim is false. Though Republican lawmakers have called for the halftime performance to be probed, as of now, a probe has not been launched. The US FCC has also not announced any fine on Bad Bunny, which was viewed by over 160 million.
The post was shared by Colin Wayne, an influencer and entrepreneur, on his Facebook account. The post amplified among Wayne's over 1 million followers and soon became viral on social media.
"Bad Bunny hit with a $10 million FCC fine over on air vulgarity and explicit gestures during the Super Bowl," the post read. Apple Music and the NFL are also facing steep fines. It also had a quote from the "FCC Commissioner", who was misidentified as "Joseph Barron." The current FCC Chairman is Brendan Carr.
" 'It doesn’t matter if you hide your profanity behind another language,” said FCC Commissioner Joseph Barron. “It’s still against the law. '" the quote read.
Here's the post:
Why GOP Lawmakers Are Demanding Bad Bunny
Multiple GOP lawmakers called for a probe into Bad Bunny's performance over the use of alleged profanities by the Puerto Rican Grammy winner. Among the lawmakers calling for a probe into the performance are Rep. Randy Fine of Florida and Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee.
Also read: Did Bad Bunny burn the US flag on stage in a dress? Debunking viral concert hoax
“You can’t say the f-word on live TV,” Fine said on X. "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."
Ogles, meanwhile, called the show "pure smut, brazenly aired on national television for every American family to witness." He called for a probe into it as "children were forced to endure" what he described as "sexual dancing."
"And if that weren't outrageous enough, the performance's lyrics openly glorified sodomy and countless other unspeakable depravities," he wrote. "These flagrant, indecent acts are illegal to be displayed on public airways."
