Fact Check: Did 50 Cent slam Bad Bunny for asking people to learn Spanish before Super Bowl?

The controversy originated from a meme-style post that circulated shortly after Bad Bunny’s 'SNL' episode aired
PUBLISHED OCT 8, 2025
Social media recently went viral with posts claiming that 50 Cent publicly criticized Bad Bunny (Getty Images)
Social media recently went viral with posts claiming that 50 Cent publicly criticized Bad Bunny (Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Social media has recently been flooded with viral posts claiming that rapper 50 Cent publicly criticized Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny after the latter joked on 'Saturday Night Live' that Americans had “four months to learn Spanish” before his Super Bowl 2026 halftime performance.

The alleged quote attributed to 50 Cent read, “Bro, this ain’t Duolingo halftime. Last time I checked, music’s supposed to bring people together, not make us download Rosetta Stone.”

The claim, which has spread widely across social media, suggests the rapper mocked Bad Bunny’s statement and took offense to the language remark.



 

Viral post claims 50 Cent blasted Bad Bunny’s ‘SNL’ joke

The controversy stems from a meme-style post that surfaced shortly after Bad Bunny’s 'SNL' episode aired. The image features a photo of 50 Cent alongside the quote criticizing Bad Bunny’s “Duolingo halftime” comment.

Bad Bunny attends the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit at Cleveland Public Auditorium on October 09, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Bad Bunny attends the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit at Cleveland Public Auditorium on October 09, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

The same meme has been reshared by several Facebook pages that also posted similar fake reactions allegedly from other celebrities, including Karoline Leavitt, Sharon Osbourne, Pink, John Oliver, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. These posts often use collages or screenshots to make the fabricated remarks appear legitimate.



 

The tone and phrasing of the supposed 50 Cent quote, humorous and confrontational, helped it go viral quickly, generating thousands of shares and comments from users who believed the rapper had genuinely weighed in on the SNL moment.

No record of 50 Cent’s alleged comment exists

There is no credible evidence that 50 Cent ever made the statement circulating online. A Lead Stories fact check found no trace of the quote in any verified posts, interviews, or press coverage. Searches for the phrase “Bro, this ain’t Duolingo halftime” returned only duplicates of the viral meme, not a single authentic source.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson attends the BMF/STARZ – For Your Consideration 2024, on May 02, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for STARZ)
Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson attends the BMF/STARZ – For Your Consideration 2024, on May 02, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia (Derek White/Getty Images for STARZ)

Lead Stories also noted that many of the Facebook pages promoting the claim are managed from countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, and are part of a network known for publishing “made-for-advertising” (MFA) content,  sensational stories created purely for clicks.

No entertainment outlet has reported any genuine backlash from 50 Cent regarding Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl joke. The rapper’s verified social media accounts also contain no such remarks.

In reality, 50 Cent has not commented on Bad Bunny’s joke, and the viral quote was never said by him.

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