Carlos Santana Breaks His Silence: “My Heart Is in Total Harmony with Bad Bunny”

When false rumors spread online that legendary guitarist Carlos Santana had slammed Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl 60 halftime performance, the story traveled faster than a guitar riff at Woodstock.

Within days, Facebook feeds were flooded with fabricated quotes, AI-generated “news cards,” and even edited videos claiming that Santana had “refused to support” the Puerto Rican superstar.

Now, Santana has spoken — and he’s not holding back.

“I congratulate and celebrate Bad Bunny’s success and his position right now with the world and with the Super Bowl,” Santana said in a statement released through his management. “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.”

The 76-year-old musician, revered for his spiritual approach to music and his lifelong message of unity, made clear that he never criticized Bad Bunny — and that any story suggesting otherwise is “pure invention.”

“Fear is the flavor right now,” he continued. “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.”

How the Rumor Started

The controversy began with a viral Facebook post shared over 100,000 times in less than 48 hours. The post falsely claimed that Santana had condemned the NFL for choosing Bad Bunny — and that he was “petitioning for a more ‘traditional’ artist to replace him.”

Another fake headline, allegedly generated using AI, went even further — inventing quotes that portrayed Santana as “angry” about Bad Bunny’s wardrobe choices and performance style.

Within hours, the misinformation spread to YouTube commentary channels and fringe blogs, prompting a storm of reactions from both fans and detractors.

The problem? None of it was true.

Santana’s team quickly moved to debunk the falsehoods, releasing an official statement that not only denied the rumors but also condemned the growing wave of AI-fueled disinformation plaguing public figures.

“Don’t rely on random or unverified posts,” warned Santana’s manager Michael Vrionis. “Even well-meaning outlets can get misled. We’ve seen AI create entire narratives out of thin air — fake quotes, fake headlines, fake images. Carlos never said any of it.”

“We’re Living in a Time of Fear and Division”

Santana’s full statement went far beyond rumor control. It became a meditation on the cultural moment — a reflection on how fear and polarization distort truth, even in art.

“We’re living in a time of fear, division, separation, superiority and inferiority,” he wrote. “Fear is what motivates ignorant people to create lies. But art — real art — exists to bring the world closer to harmony and oneness.”

Then, in classic Santana fashion, he turned the conversation toward light.

“Just to be clear, my heart is in total harmony with Bad Bunny,” he said. “I celebrate his success, his triumph, his phenomenal achievement. Anything other than that is coming from people’s ignorance.”

He went on to describe how the negativity surrounding the performance reflects a deeper issue in modern culture — the way online outrage drowns out compassion.

“Hostile forces love to create conflict, separation and division, because they don’t like unity, harmony, oneness and joy,” he said. “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.”

And then, in a line that surprised many, Santana revealed just how much admiration he truly has for the reggaeton star:

“I can’t stop playing his song ‘Monaco’ — there’s something really magical about it.”

Bad Bunny: Unbothered and Unapologetic

For Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, the controversy surrounding his upcoming Super Bowl appearance has been more of a storm outside the stadium than inside it.

The 29-year-old artist — who has consistently topped global streaming charts and broken multiple tour records — has remained unfazed amid both celebration and backlash.

During his recent hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, he addressed the chatter with trademark wit:

“You have four months to learn Spanish,” he joked to the audience, flashing a grin. “Because I’m not singing in English.”

That single line summed up his attitude: playful, proud, and entirely uninterested in appeasing critics.

Still, the reaction to the NFL’s decision to make Bad Bunny the first Latino solo headliner of a Super Bowl halftime show has been polarized. While millions of fans see it as a landmark moment for representation, a vocal segment — including several right-wing commentators — have condemned the choice, framing it as “un-American.”

In one particularly extreme response, far-right groups even claimed they would “protest outside the stadium” during the game.

Yet for every critic, there are countless more who see Bad Bunny’s performance as long overdue recognition of Latin music’s global power.

As Jay-Z, who helps coordinate the halftime show through Roc Nation, put it during the announcement:

“What Bad Bunny has done for Puerto Rico and the world is truly inspiring. We’re honored to have him on the biggest stage there is.”

The Santana Way: Music as Unity

For those who know Santana’s decades-long career, his defense of Bad Bunny makes perfect sense.

From the spiritual rock of Abraxas to his cross-generational collaborations on Supernatural, Santana has always treated music as a sacred bridge between people, not a wall between genres or generations.

He’s collaborated with artists from all corners of the musical world — from Rob Thomas and Eric Clapton to Gloria Estefan and Michelle Branch — always with the same goal: unity through sound.

“Carlos doesn’t see music in categories,” says Vrionis. “He sees it as energy, as light. When he hears Bad Bunny, he doesn’t think ‘reggaeton’ or ‘Latin pop’ — he thinks rhythm, power, joy. That’s what he connects to.”

Even in the age of misinformation, Santana remains steadfastly optimistic. His advice to those who spread or fall for false stories?

“Do something more creative with your energy,” he said.

A Clash of Eras — or a Meeting of Souls?

The fabricated feud between Santana and Bad Bunny might seem like another online skirmish in an endless cycle of celebrity rumor wars. But to cultural analysts, it reveals something deeper about how society interprets art and identity today.

Dr. Lila Hernandez, a professor of media studies at DePaul University, notes that these viral falsehoods often exploit generational divides.

“The internet loves to pit the ‘old guard’ against the ‘new wave,’” she explained. “But artists like Santana and Bad Bunny actually represent the same spirit — breaking barriers, mixing influences, and defying expectations.”

Indeed, the two musicians may be more alike than their ages suggest. Santana was once viewed as a disruptor himself — a Mexican-born guitarist bringing Latin rhythms into the heart of American rock. Fifty years later, Bad Bunny is doing the same for global pop, blending reggaeton, trap, and activism into one unapologetic voice.

“Art evolves,” Santana wrote in closing. “It’s not about competition or comparison. It’s about collaboration — the melody of unity.”

The Bigger Picture

The broader conversation around the Super Bowl halftime show continues to unfold, with Turning Point USA’s Erika Kirk announcing a “faith-driven alternative” called The All-American Halftime Show — a move that sparked its own wave of headlines.

But through it all, Santana’s message cuts through the noise like one of his guitar solos — warm, soulful, and unmistakably human.

“We’re all notes in the same song,” he said in his statement. “If you stop listening to each other, the music stops. And I, for one, never want the music to stop.”