Jason Kelce, brother of Travis and former star of the Philadelphia Eagles, has issued a statement after a fake quote of him appearing to criticize those unhappy with the selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl Halftime Show went viral.
“I normally don’t comment on things like this, but I feel I need to address that there are a number of accounts posting fake quotes and attributing them to me on this platform right now,” Kelce wrote on X yesterday, Oct. 14.
The phony quote attributed to Kelce was: “If Bad Bunny is a bad fit for the Super Bowl, then maybe the people making these comments are a bad fit for America’s future.” While the veracity of the quote was debunked even before Kelce addressed the matter, it still went viral on social media. Its spread was fueled, too, by conservative activists like Dinesh D’Souza and David Harris Jr., whose posts are still up as of publication (via Snopes).
On X, Kelce said he appreciated the placement of community notes on several posts boosting the fake quote. He also said, “I will not address the other accounts specifically, because I do not want to amplify their engagement. But please know, unless you hear something directly from me via one of my platforms, it is not real.”
The fact that the fake quote went so viral speaks to the extent of the conservative melt down over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. Right-wing commentators have complained about Bad Bunny’s stance on immigration enforcement, as well as the fact that he sings in Spanish. Turning Point USA even announced their plan to “counter program” Bad Bunny’s performance with their own “All American Halftime Show.” (A performer has yet to be announced.)
The Trump administration fueled the culture war outrage further, with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem saying that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will be “all over” the 2026 Super Bowl. And Trump himself said, “I don’t know why they’re doing it, it’s crazy, and then they blame it on some promoter that they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Bad Bunny, for his part, has brushed off the backlash. While hosting the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he joked during his monologue that “everyone is happy” about the show, “even Fox News.”
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“I’m very excited to be doing the Super Bowl, and I know that people all around the world who love my music are also happy,” he said before continuing in Spanish. “Especially all the Latinos and Latinas in the whole world, and here in the United States, all the people who have worked to open doors, more than I have achieved, who have achieved everything, demonstrating that our way, our carrying of this country, no one can ever remove nor erase.”
From Rolling Stone US
