Claressa Shields stepped into a heated online debate after Jake Paul criticized Bad Bunny ahead of the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
Paul sparked backlash when he urged followers to boycott the performance and labeled Bad Bunny a “fake American citizen.” Shields quickly responded on X, calling him out/
“Please Jake, not today,” she wrote. “Puerto Ricans are not fake citizens. You would think that you of all people would support this.”
Shields continued by highlighting crucial issues, including immigration enforcement and racial tensions.
“What’s happening with ICE is terrible and we shouldn’t want to see harm done to anyone who is a part of America and a minority,” she added. “Do better Jake. This isn’t right.”
Please Jake, not today. Puerto Ricans are not fake citizens. You would think that you of all people would support this as you have so many Puerto Rican women under your umbrella. What’s happening with ICE is terrible and we shouldn’t want to see harm done to anyone who is apart… https://t.co/c38DAYuXpr
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) February 9, 2026
When another user attempted to downplay the comment, Shields doubled down.
If they are fake citizens like he stated they are, and regardless,” she replied. “Too much is going on in the USA today to be spreading hate.”
Paul’s original post encouraged viewers to turn off the halftime show as a form of protest. The remarks drew widespread criticism across social media, including from other public figures who questioned his reasoning. Paul eventually walked back on his original tweet, first claiming that something was wrong with his X account before saying his posts had been “misinterpreted.”