Santana is shutting down internet trolls who claimed he criticized the NFL for choosing Bad Bunny to headline the Super Bowl halftime show

Carlas Santana and Bad Bunny

©Maryanne Bilham; Mike Coppola/MG25/Getty Images/The Met Museum/Vogue

Carlos Santana is not having any of the misinformation being spread about him. Following viral Facebook posts claiming that the legendary guitarist slammed the NFL’s choice of having Bad Bunny headline the Super Bowl halftime show next year, Santana has put out a statement to make clear that he supports the star’s performance.

“I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny‘s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl,” Santana’s statement begins. “I feel total oneness with what he’s doing because we are here to utilize art to complement and bring the world closer to harmony and oneness. However, we’re living in a time of fear, division, separation, superiority and inferiority. Fear is the flavor 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.”

Viral posts on Facebook made claims that Santana had not only criticized the younger star for wearing a dress but that he was personally petitioning to replace Bad Bunny as the halftime performer. Both of these stories are false.

“Just to be clear, my heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny, and I celebrate his success, his triumph and his phenomenal achievement,” he continued. “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. They want people to be miserable and to spend too much time in their minds. I spend a lot of time in my heart, and in my heart I celebrate Bad Bunny. I can’t stop playing his song ‘Monaco’ — there’s something really magical about it.”

Santana invited the people who have started these rumors to “do something more creative with their energy.”

Santana’s manager Michael Vrionis also added to the statement that AI has created a series of trolling posts and rumors about Santana that the team has attempted to disseminate. “Don’t rely on random or unverified posts,” he said. “Even well-meaning outlets can get misled.”

Bad Bunny’s upcoming gig at the Super Bowl halftime show has caused an internet uproar, particularly from the MAGA crowd. Far-right leadership has threatened to have ICE officers outside of the stadium where the game will take place. Meanwhile, Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk announced counterprogramming from Turning Point USA. So far, Bad Bunny has taken this all in stride. While hosting Saturday Night Live, he told the audience they have “four months to learn” Spanish before his performance.