Ice-T Defends Bad Bunny & Clashes With ‘SVU’ Fan Over Super Bowl Show Support

Ice-T, the rapper and actor known for his role on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” has publicly defended Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LXI halftime performance, dismissing criticism from conservative commentators. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday, Ice-T called Bad Bunny’s performance “dope” and stated, “And I don’t give a F how you feel about it.”

The response came after Bad Bunny’s largely Spanish-language performance drew criticism from some Republican figures. Ice-T further amplified his support with a follow-up post sharing a graphic from My Mixtapez highlighting the show’s high ratings alongside a photo of former President Donald Trump appearing displeased. He captioned the post, “Haters can Hate….. But they ALWAYS lose…. Always.”

The online exchange sparked backlash from some fans, including one who vowed to stop watching “Law & Order: SVU” if Ice-T continued to voice his opinions. Ice-T responded sarcastically, telling the fan, “Bitch please don’t leave!” He then offered a more considered response, stating that disagreement and dislike have been consistent throughout his career and have never deterred him. “Stand for something.. Have some Fn Courage,” he wrote.

Later on February 10th, Ice-T posted a photo of himself with “SVU” co-star Octavio Pisano on the set of the show in New York, seemingly unfazed by the online controversy.

Bad Bunny’s performance, which featured appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin, had been anticipated with some apprehension from conservative circles, particularly given the singer’s previous criticism of former President Trump’s immigration policies. Prior to the Super Bowl, Bad Bunny had used the Grammy Awards stage to denounce Trump’s policies, stating “ICE OUT” while accepting the award for Album of the Year.

Activists affiliated with the group Contra-ICE distributed approximately 25,000 rally towels featuring a cartoon bunny punting a frozen football with the message “ICE OUT” to fans entering Levi’s Stadium on Sunday. The group’s leader, Shasti Conrad, stated the intention was to make the message “inescapable” during the broadcast, according to reports.

Despite the widespread acclaim for the performance, one Republican lawmaker has called for a “formal congressional inquiry” into the halftime show, citing concerns over what they described as “gay pornography” and “pure smut.” The NFL has not yet responded to the call for an inquiry.