The global reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny is once again entangled in a high-stakes legal battle regarding the unauthorized use of a voice recording. This latest development follows a $16 million lawsuit filed in Puerto Rico by Tainaly Y. Serrano Rivera, who claims her voice was “commercially exploited” without consent. The litigation centers on a specific vocal tag that has become a recognizable element of the artist’s brand over the last several years.
According to the 32-page legal complaint, the recording in question features Rivera saying the phrase, “Mira, puñeta, no me quiten el perreo,” which translates roughly to “Listen, damn it, don’t take away my vibe” or “my twerking.” This audio snippet appears in the 2018 track “Solo de Mí” from the album X 100pre and resurfaced more recently in the song “EoO” from the 2025 release Debí Tirar Más Fotos.
The lawsuit details that the recording was originally made in 2018 at the request of Roberto Rosado, known professionally as La Paciencia, who is Bad Bunny’s longtime producer. At the time, Rivera and Rosado were reportedly classmates in a theater program at the Interamerican University of Arecibo. Rivera alleges she sent the audio via a WhatsApp voice note as a personal favor, believing it was for a private or informal purpose.
A critical point of the legal argument is the total absence of formal documentation or financial remuneration. The filing explicitly states that “no compensation of any kind was discussed” and that no contract, license, or authorization was ever signed. Rivera contends she was never notified that her identity or voice would be utilized for commercial purposes, merchandise sales, or high-profile live performances.
The timing of this lawsuit is particularly significant as Bad Bunny prepares for a massive career milestone. The artist, who established himself as the most listened-to performer of 2025 on Spotify, is slated to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show in early 2026. This legal shadow arrives just as his public profile reaches its absolute zenith, adding pressure to an already complex organizational environment at his label, Rimas Entertainment.
This is not the first time the singer, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has faced such accusations. The current case draws immediate parallels to the pending $40 million lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend, Carliz de la Cruz Hernández. That earlier dispute involves the iconic “Bad Bunny baby” tag, which Hernández claims she recorded on her phone in 2015 and which has since appeared in multiple chart-topping hits without her final approval.
Legal experts note that Puerto Rican law provides robust protections for individuals in these scenarios. The lawsuit specifically invokes Act No. 139-2011, known as the Right of Publicity Act, which prohibits the unauthorized use of a person’s voice or likeness for profit. Additionally, it cites the Moral Rights of Authors Act (Act No. 55-2012), which protects the integrity and attribution of creative contributions.
Rivera’s attorneys argue that the repeated use of the phrase across different albums and tours has significantly increased the commercial value of the music while depriving the owner of the voice of any benefit. The complaint highlights the massive success of the song “EoO,” which has already accumulated over 757 million streams on Spotify. Such staggering numbers are being used to justify the multimillion-dollar settlement demand.
As of early 2026, neither Bad Bunny nor the legal representatives for Rimas Entertainment have issued a public statement regarding the Serrano Rivera filing. However, both the artist and the label are scheduled to appear in a Puerto Rican court this coming May to respond to the claims. The outcome could set a major precedent for how “found sounds” and informal voice memos are treated in the modern music industry.
The controversy underscores a growing trend where individuals from an artist’s past seek legal recourse as that artist achieves global dominance. For Rivera, the litigation is a matter of privacy and dignity, as she claims the unauthorized use has led to unwanted public attention and anxiety. For the music industry at large, it serves as a stark warning about the necessity of clearing every single audio element before a record hits the streaming platforms.
