Carlos Santana Breaks Silence, Denies Shocking Viral Hoax

Guitar legend Carlos Santana has publicly addressed and refuted misleading reports that falsely claimed he criticized Bad Bunny’s selection as the halftime performer for next year’s Super Bowl. The inaccurate stories, which spread rapidly on Facebook and generated thousands of interactions, attributed fabricated quotes to Santana opposing the Puerto Rican artist’s involvement in the NFL’s biggest annual event.

The fake quotes suggested Santana called the halftime show a “circus” and accused the NFL of “poisoning” the artistic energy of the performance. These stories emerged in the wake of Meta’s controversial 2025 decision to replace professional fact-checkers with a community-driven “notes” system, which critics say has led to an increase in false information circulating on its platform.

Santana’s Message of Unity and Support for Bad Bunny

In an official statement, Santana expressed unequivocal support for Bad Bunny’s success and role at the Super Bowl. “I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny‘s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl,” Santana said. “I feel total oneness with what he’s doing because we are here to utilise art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness.”

Santana also reflected on the current social climate, explaining that fear and division motivate some to spread misinformation.

“Fear is the flavour right now. Fear is what motivates ignorant people to put words in my mouth – saying that I didn’t want Bad Bunny to be represented at the Super Bowl. I never said that, nor would I ever.”

He concluded by emphasizing his admiration for the artist, revealing a personal connection to Bad Bunny’s music:

“My heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny, and I celebrate his success, his triumph and his phenomenal achievement. Anything other than that is coming from people’s ignorance. We’re living in a time when hostile forces love to create conflict, separation and division, because the hostile forces don’t like unity, harmony, oneness and joy.”

Super Bowl Backlash and Santana’s Upcoming Residency

The NFL’s decision to feature Bad Bunny at the halftime show has sparked criticism from conservative circles, including former President Donald Trump, who labeled the choice “absolutely ridiculous.” House Speaker Mike Johnson also voiced his opinion, suggesting that country singer Lee Greenwood, known for publishing the ‘Trump Bible’ in 2021, would be a more fitting performer.

Meanwhile, Carlos Santana is preparing to launch his latest Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues, Mandalay Bay. The 23-show run begins November 25 and will continue through May 24, 2026.

In a related note, earlier this year, Crowded House had to publicly deny a false AI-generated report circulating on Facebook that claimed frontman Neil Finn was suffering from erectile dysfunction, highlighting the ongoing challenges artists face with misinformation.