A very public disagreement between the Paul brothers spilled onto social media during Super Bowl Sunday, with Logan Paul openly pushing back against his younger brother Jake made a damning tweet aimed at Bad Bunny and the NFL’s halftime show.
The dispute centred on Bad Bunny’s selection as the Super Bowl 2026 halftime performer, a choice that drew criticism from several public figures and sparked an especially strong reaction from Jake Paul.
Shortly before kickoff, the boxer urged his followers on X to take action by switching off their televisions during the performance, framing it as a protest against the league and its partners.
Jake argued that viewership was the ultimate leverage point for fans. “Purposefully turning off the halftime show” would, he claimed, “show big corporations they can’t just do whatever they want without consequences (which equals viewership for them).” He continued by telling followers: “You are their benefit. Realize you have power. Turn off this halftime.”
The tone escalated further as Jake took aim directly at the performer. “A fake American citizen performing who publicly hates America. I cannot support that,” he wrote, a comment that quickly ignited backlash online.
Logan Paul, who has transitioned from social media fame into a full-time WWE career, responded publicly soon after, making it clear he did not share his brother’s view. While acknowledging their relationship, Logan said he felt compelled to speak out in defence of Bad Bunny and Puerto Rico.
“I love my brother, but I don’t agree with this,” Logan posted. “Puerto Ricans are Americans & I’m happy they were given the opportunity to showcase the talent that comes from the island.”
As criticism mounted, Jake Paul issued a clarification, stressing that his earlier remarks were not intended to question Bad Bunny’s citizenship because of his Puerto Rican heritage. “To clarify: I wasn’t calling anyone a ‘fake citizen’ because they’re from Puerto Rico,” he wrote. “I live in Puerto Rico, and I love Puerto Rico. I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and will always do so.”
Instead, Jake said his frustration stemmed from Bad Bunny’s outspoken criticism of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “But if you’re publicly criticizing ICE who are doing their job and openly hating on America, I’m going to speak on it. Period… If you benefit from a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree love is more powerful than hate. Love America.”
The clarification did little to slow the reaction online. Among those calling out Jake was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who referenced his decision to relocate to Puerto Rico. “A ‘fake American citizen?’ Didn’t you MOVE to Puerto Rico to avoid paying your taxes while kids across America go hungry?” she wrote. “Meanwhile Benito actually funds low income kids’ access to arts and sports programs, while you defund them.”
Meanwhile, Puerto Rican-American WWE Superstar Damien Priest – who has worked a match with Bad Bunny during an event on the Caribbean island – issued a message to Logan, saying: “Very kind of you to say. You have a platform that can actually mean something to many. Thank you.”
Jake later appeared to soften his stance further with another post amid the ongoing backlash. “Guys i love bad bunny idk what happened on my twitter last night ?? wtf,” he added.
There has been some confusion regarding Logan’s comments, as he was seen on the red carpet prior to the game asking if he was looking forward to the Halftime Show – to which, he bluntly replied: “No.”
However, it has been rumoured from several pro-wrestling sources that this may have been laying the groundwork for a match with Bad Bunny in WWE – something that Jake’s later tweet then potentially muddied.
Bad Bunny himself has been vocal on political issues, particularly immigration. At the Grammys, where he won album of the year as well as best música urbana album, he used the stage to criticise ICE in one of his acceptance speeches. “ICE out! We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans… hate gets more powerful with more hate. The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. So please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
That message was echoed during his Super Bowl halftime performance, which featured appearances from Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal and Ricky Martin. The show concluded with a call for unity, including the words ‘God bless America’ and an emphasis on the shared identity of the Americas.
Let’s see if the Paul brothers can get back on the same page.
Featured image credit: Instagram/LoganPaul/JakePaul/X/NFL (screenshot)
