Bad Bunny Slammed Over Concert Stunt—'Disgusting'

Bad Bunny kicked off his Most Wanted tour on Wednesday, but the opening night has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

The Puerto Rican rapper certainly made an entrance in Salt Lake City, Utah, arriving on stage for his second act on horseback, to match the tour's Wild West theme.

However, footage of the stunt is causing controversy online, with some fans reaching out to PETA on the animal's behalf.

"This is animal abuse," said @andrewscomet on X, formerly Twitter.

"This is the most disgusting thing ever," agreed @yourestillblue.

"That poor horse it's probably so loud in there," said Ana.

"His poor ears with all those screaming people and speakers," wrote @lovejherris.

"Can we not use animals as props." L.O. said.

"Wow that's really f****** sad....like you REALLY needed that horse? Really?" wrote Kelsey.

Several users tagged PETA's X account, asking the animal rights organization to "do something."

"@peta does a horse belong to a concert stage????" asked Laurie.

"@peta This is unacceptable," said Francesco.

"Peta bout to have a field day with this one," agreed Mila.

PETA U.S. Senior Vice President Lisa Lange told Newsweek: "Horses are extremely skittish individuals, and they're not props to be ridden across a stage amid flashing lights, booming music and noisy crowds.

"As they're easily spooked, this could have ended in tragedy, all for an absurd and thoughtless gimmick."

Newsweek has reached out to Bad Bunny for comment via email.

Despite the criticism, some fans loved the dramatic entrance, dubbing the move "legendary."

"HORSES AT THE BAD BUNNY SHOW BE WILD," said B.

"That guy is the real game bro," commented @AgboSunday62.

This isn't the first time Bad Bunny—real name Benito Ocasio—has faced backlash on social media.

In November, Forbes named the Grammy winner "El Rey de Pop," which is "King of Pop" in Spanish. Michael Jackson fans hit out at Forbes and Bad Bunny in response to the article, accusing them of "disrespecting" the original King of Pop.

The rapper also caused uproar in January 2023 after footage of him throwing a fan's phone from a waterfront in the Dominican Republic went viral.

The fan attempted to take a selfie with the star, with the 29-year-old rapper seen lobbing her phone across the street and into the water, before moving on with his entourage. The clip received over 9 million views on X.

"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," Bad Bunny said, addressing his actions on social media. "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."

Following the incident, another video of Bad Bunny throwing fans' cell phones took over the internet, although phones were reportedly "not allowed" at the event shown in the footage taken in the city of La Romana in the Dominican Republic.

Update 02/23/24, 11:05 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Lisa Lange.