In just a few years, Bad Bunny has solidified himself as a major star within the Hollywood sphere. Since being featured on Cardi B’s “I Like It’ in 2018, he’s amassed several major accolades including multiple Grammy Awards and twice landed the title of Spotify's most streamed artist of the year. So he’s earned a considerable amount of notoriety, and all eyes were definitely on him when he threw a fan's phone in the water after they tried to get a selfie with him. The entertainer has since defended his actions, and the Internet has thoughts.
Bad Bunny, whose birth name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was in the Dominican Republic and walking alongside his posse when a fan approached him with her phone. When the young woman attempted to capture a snapshot, he grabbed the device and chucked into a nearby body of water. The footage was captured by someone on the scene, and it went viral. The performer addressed the matter on Twitter, explaining the reasoning behind his actions:
The person who comes up to me to say hello, to tell me something, or just to meet me, will always receive my attention and respect. Those who come to put a phone bastard in my face I will consider it for what it is, a lack of respect and I will treat it likewise.
The 28-year-old star’s response caused quite a stir on social media, as a number of commentators have since made their way to Twitter to weigh in. The reactions have varied, but it’s evident that the viral moment rubbed some fans the wrong way. Check out this person's reply:
Anyone justifying Bad Bunny throwing someone’s phone, their property that they paid with their money, into the water because “personal space” can kindly fuck off. I’m so tired of these celebrities, man. https://t.co/bqrR5NSXZpJanuary 2, 2023
There’s a level of nuance when it comes to some people’s takes on the matter. Some have scolded the singer while also acknowledging that the person shouldn’t have gotten that close to him in an attempt to create a photo-op. Still, one user suggested that the artist should have no excuse for what he did:
No excuse to treat a young female fan like that.January 3, 2023
Though the Bullet Train cast member is facing plenty of criticism, there seem to be a significant number of people who are in his corner. In fact, one fan called out the detractors for showing “fake sympathy” for the person whose phone was thrown away:
If you can afford to breathe the same air as bad bunny you can afford to buy a new phone stop with the fake sympathyJanuary 2, 2023
Bad Bunny, who’s starring in a Marvel movie that recently took a major step forward, appears to have a firm fanbase, which doesn’t seem eager to turn its back on him. Cancel culture has been a serious topic of discussion and, at first glance, a situation like this could be viewed as a “cancelable offense.” But at least one fan thinks the “Te Gusta” isn’t going to be negatively impacted by his actions:
nobody is cancelling Bad Bunny, don’t nobody care about that lady’s phone.January 3, 2023
Of course, there are others on Twitter who’ve simply opted to drop jokes about the celebrity WWE veteran’s situation as opposed to directly giving their opinion on whether it was right or wrong. Someone cheekily summed up the singer’s apology using a clip of reality TV veteran Tiffany “New York” Pollard:
Bad Bunny after throwing that fan's phone away : pic.twitter.com/itPPTrvWtbJanuary 2, 2023
Judging by just how far the footage of Bad Bunny has spread across the interwebs at this point, I don’t see people forgetting it anytime soon. Yet if the tone of the Wrestlemania 37 alum’s response is any indication, he probably doesn't care who remembers it. In the end, whether he was right or wrong can be debated, and folks on the Internet will probably continue to do just that for the foreseeable future.
