A courtroom battle Bad Bunny may have hoped was behind him is heating up once again.
The Puerto Rico Supreme Court has ruled that the Latin superstar's former girlfriend, Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, can continue her lawsuit over the now-iconic phrase "Bad Bunny baby," claiming her voice was used without permission on one of his biggest albums.
The court handed De La Cruz Hernández a major victory by allowing her claims surrounding the 2022 hit "Dos Mil 16" from Un Verano Sin Ti to move forward. She alleges the recording of her voice became part of Bad Bunny's global success without her authorization.
Not all of her claims survived, however. The justices ruled that allegations involving the artist's 2015 song "Pa Ti" were filed too late and cannot proceed because they fall outside Puerto Rico's statute of limitations.
While the decision doesn't determine whether Bad Bunny did anything wrong, it keeps the legal fight alive and sets the stage for a deeper examination of how the famous vocal tag found its way onto one of the world's biggest albums.
The phrase "Bad Bunny baby" has become instantly recognizable among fans, making the dispute one of the most unusual celebrity copyright and consent battles in recent years. If De La Cruz Hernández ultimately succeeds, the case could have ripple effects throughout the music industry, particularly over the use of personal voice recordings in commercial releases.
For Bad Bunny, the ruling means the controversy isn't going away anytime soon. Instead, one of the most recognizable moments in his music is now headed for an even bigger legal showdown.
