Bad Bunny is reportedly facing a new $16 million lawsuit in Puerto Rico accusing him, his label Rimas Entertainment, and longtime producer La Paciencia of using a woman’s voice recording without proper authorization on multiple songs and in live performances, just weeks before his controversial Super Bowl halftime show appearance.[1][2][3] The complaint, filed on Monday, January 5, names plaintiff Tainaly Y. Serrano Rivera, who claims her voice was exploited commercially without consent, in alleged violation of her privacy and publicity rights under Puerto Rico law.[1][3]
According to court documents cited by Billboard and other outlets, Serrano alleges that her voice appears on Bad Bunny’s 2018 track “Solo de Mi” from his debut album X 100PRE and on “EoO” from his 2025 album Debí Tirar Más Fotos.[1][2][3] She says she originally recorded the now‑viral phrase “Mira, puñeta, no me quiten el perreo” (“Damn, don’t take the perreo away from me”) in 2018 at the request of producer Roberto Rosado, known as La Paciencia, while they were theater students at the Inter American (Interamerican) University of Puerto Rico in Arecibo.[1][2][3] Serrano claims she was never told the snippet would be used on commercially released music and never signed a contract, license, or written authorization allowing Bad Bunny’s team to exploit the recording.[1][2][3]
The lawsuit alleges that the same vocal line became a recognizable calling card in Bad Bunny’s catalog, used not only on the two studio recordings but also as a recurring sample during his concerts and in connection with merch, helping fuel its meme status among fans.[1][2] Serrano is reportedly seeking at least $16 million in damages, arguing that the defendants profited from her voice and likeness while she received no credit or compensation.[1][2][3] The suit further asks the court to order Bad Bunny and Rimas to cease any future use of the recording unless proper authorization is granted, and both the artist and his label have been ordered to appear in court in May to respond to the claim.[1][3]
This case arrives at a sensitive time for Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who is preparing for a high‑profile and already politically charged Super Bowl halftime performance that has drawn backlash from some conservative commentators.[2][3] It also marks the second major voice‑rights dispute surrounding the superstar: in 2023, his ex‑girlfriend Carliz de la Cruz Hernández filed a separate $40 million lawsuit alleging unauthorized use of her “Bad Bunny, baby” tag on songs “Pa Ti” and “Dos Mil 16,” a case that remains ongoing.[1][2][3] As questions over consent, ownership, and personal recordings continue to shadow Bad Bunny’s rise, the latest lawsuit underscores the growing legal stakes around how artists build their sonic brands in the streaming era.
