Real Housewives alums Jill Zarin and Taylor Armstrong voiced criticism over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Taking to their individual Instagram accounts after Bad Bunny, 31, lit up Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8, former Real Housewives of New York City’s Zarin and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ Armstrong said they were far from pleased with what they saw.
“It was the worst halftime show ever,” Zarin, 62, said in a since-deleted video that was captured via X. “I just don’t think it was appropriate to have it in Spanish and, quite frankly … grabbing his G [groin] area … I think it was totally inappropriate. You’ve got all these young kids watching the Super Bowl and he doesn’t have to be grabbing himself every five seconds because he’s so insecure. Seriously.”
She continued, “I don’t speak Spanish, I would’ve liked to have known the words he was saying. To me, it looked like a political statement because there were literally no white people in the entire thing. I’m not taking a side, one way or the other … I think it was an ICE thing. I think that the NFL sold out and it’s very sad.”
Zarin also took aim at Bad Bunny’s guest performer, Lady Gaga, within her critique of the show. “Lady Gaga, got a facelift, I didn’t recognize her, I literally had to Google her face to see who it was because we all couldn’t agree who it was. That was kind of fun in the middle of halftime, at least it gave us something to do because it was so hard to watch,” she said.
Armstrong relayed her own perspective via an Instagram Story that saw her replace the head of Russell Crowe’s enraged Gladiator character with a photo of her own. “Were you entertained? I am embarrassed for the NFL and Apple for the Super Bowl halftime show totally in Spanish with a Cuban flag!!” she wrong alongside the image.
Jill Zarin Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video
Bad Bunny’s performance paid tribute to his Puerto Rican roots, set in a sugarcane field set — a staple to Puerto Rico — before the rapper shifted to a second star-studded set as the likes of Pedro Pascal, Jessica Alba, Cardi B and Alix Earle danced on the front porch of a house.
Lady Gaga arrived minutes later to perform a fresh version of her track with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile,” before Ricky Martin performed “’LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii.”
Taylor Armstrong Amy Sussman/Getty Images
While Super Bowl attendees including Robert Irwin, Earle, 25, and Pascal, 50, all took to their own Instagram accounts to praise the performance, Zarin and Armstrong were among other high profilers who weren’t happy.
President Donald Trump shared via Truth Social just minutes after the performance wrapped, “The Super Bowl Halftime Show is absolutely terrible, one of the worst, EVER. It makes no sense, is an affront to the Greatness of America, and doesn’t represent our standards of Success, Creativity, or Excellence. Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting, especially for young children that are watching from throughout the U.S.A., and all over the world.”
Bad Bunny Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Rapper Chris Brown also posted an Instagram Story that read, “I think it’s safe to say … they need me.” His words were followed by a winking face emoji.
