Yahoo News Bad Bunny Defends Throwing Fan’s Phone After Video of the Incident Sparks Controversy
Bad Bunny has responded to online backlash after footage of him throwing a fan’s phone went viral over the holidays. The reggaeton singer did not apologize for the confrontation, which he called a “lack of respect” on the fan’s part, and explained his reaction.
The video, which was filmed in the Dominican Republic, shows a flock of fans surrounding Bunny as he makes his way down a street and one female fan, in particular, steps in front of him, with the front-facing camera open on her phone. Bunny can be seen grabbing the device and chucking it far into the distance, which is when an off-camera spectator shouts “Wow! Really?” as someone in Bunny’s entourage replies, “You have to respect his space.”
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“Anyone who comes up to me to say hello, to tell me something, or just to meet me, will always receive my attention and respect,” Bunny wrote in a tweet on Monday night. But “those who come to put a damn phone in my face, I’ll consider that what it is: a lack of respect and I’ll treat that the same way.”
La persona que se acerque a mi a saludarme, a decirme algo, o solo conocerme, siempre recibirá mi atención y respeto. Los que vengan a ponerme un cabrón teléfono en la cara lo consideraré como lo que es, una falta de respeto y así mismo lo trataré yo. #SINCOJONESMETIENE
— ☀️🌊❤️ (@sanbenito) January 2, 2023
Fans and online comments seemed divided, with an equal amount of defenders and critics. While some said he was right to set his boundaries, others said the top artist of the year should’ve considered his position and used his words instead of his actions.
Despite hinting at a break, Bunny recently released a surprise single, “Gato de Noche,” and delivered an impromptu concert on the roof of a gas station in Puerto Rico (he even had a guest performer, his frequent collaborator Arcángel).
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