Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper and singer, was caught on video swiping a female fan's phone and throwing it off a boardwalk into an ocean, in a now-viral clip shared on January 2. The cause? She attempted to take a selfie with him. In the footage, filmed in the Dominican Republic, Bad Bunny is strutting to get somewhere, and the woman and her friends are all smiles and laughter walking with him, excited to meet their idol. Then she holds up her phone to take a selfie. Before she knows it, Bunny has grabbed the device and thrown it across the street into the ocean. A look of shock on her face, the woman and her friends share an awkward silence, stunned in disbelief.
More than 9 million people have viewed the video in just 24 hours, after it was shared via media personality's Felix Victorino's Twitter account. "Guess... wow," Victorino captioned it. Read on to see what Bad Bunny said in response, and which other celebrities have thrown phones.
1 | Bad Bunny Said She Showed a "Lack of Respect"
Felix Victorino/TwitterBad Bunny responded to the footage via his Twitter account the next day. "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 … teléfono en la cara lo consideraré como lo que es, una falta de respeto y así mismo lo trataré yo. #SINCOJONESMETIENE," he said. Translated, that means roughly: "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 … in my face I will consider it for what it is, a lack of respect, and I will treat it likewise." He used a bit of salty language which we have excluded.
2 | It's Been a Meteoric Rise for Bad Bunny, But Not Without Controversies
Felix Victorino/TwitterBad Bunny has taken the music industry by storm in recent years. Born Benjamin Rafael Martinez Ocasio in 1994, he first gained fame as a trap and Latin music artist, but has since diversified his sound and become one of the most popular and influential musicians in the world. Bad Bunny's rise to fame was relatively quick, thanks in part to his unique style and ability to adapt to different genres.
He first gained a following on Soundcloud with his debut single Soy Peor, which became a hit in Latin America and helped to establish him as a rising star in the Latin music scene. From there, he went on to collaborate with other popular artists such as Cardi B, Drake, and J Balvin, further expanding his reach and cementing his place as a major player in the industry. Just this year, he starred in Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt. Read on, though, to learn about the controversies.
3 | Bad Bunny is Known for His Advocacy and Charity
Felix Victorino/TwitterIn addition to his music career, Bad Bunny has also made a name for himself as a vocal advocate for social justice and equality. He has used his platform to speak out against issues such as police brutality, racial discrimination, and LGBTQ+ rights, and has been praised for using his music to promote important messages and spark important conversations. Just last week, days before the phone-throwing incident, he donated 25,000 gifts to children at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico on Tuesday
4 | But He is Not Without Some Controversy
ShutterstockDespite his success, Bad Bunny has faced criticism and controversy in the past. Some have accused him of cultural appropriation and of not being authentically Latinx, while others have called into question his lyrics and the messages they promote. Last month he made headlines when a Ticketmaster snafu left him playing to a partly-empty stadium, as a total of 1,600 faulty tickets were reported on the first night of a concert in Mexico City, leaving fans who rightly paid for tickets stranded.
While reportedly no fault of Bad Bunny's (he has not commented on the incident), the trouble led Mexico's president to implore Bunny to perform a make-up show. "It made us very emotional to see sad young people who couldn't enter because their tickets were cloned, because they were cheated, some crying," the president added. "They saved for a long time to be able to buy their tickets."
5 | These Other Celebrities Have Thrown Phones
ShutterstockBad Bunny didn't physically hurt anyone by throwing the woman's phone. But other celebrities have. In one infamous incident, back in 2005, the actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator) was said to have thrown a phone at concierge Nestor Estrada in New York's Mercer Hotel. He later apologized. "I'm at the bottom of a well. I can't communicate how dark my life is right now," Crowe told the Daily Telegraph newspaper, blaming "jetlag, loneliness and adrenaline." He added: "I've got no excuses." (”Hopefully at some stage, I’ll be able to apologize directly to Nestor but at the moment, he’s not answering his phone," Crowe said on David Letterman.).
And in 2007, model Naomi Campbell admitted to hitting her maid in the head with a cell phone, pleading guilty after being charged with assault. She did community service, took anger management classes and paid for the hospital bills. "I’m never gonna get away from it. It’s part of my history," Campbell told Elle magazine. "I was remorseful and regretful. I’ve served. I did that time. And I never want to be in that position again."
