New lawsuit against Bad Bunny for $16 million: What is he accused of?

Bad Bunny is facing fresh legal trouble. The Puerto Rican superstar — whose legal name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — and his label, Rimas Entertainment, have been hit with a new lawsuit accusing them of using a woman’s voice without permission.

According to a report from El Vocero of Puerto Rico, a legal complaint was filed this week in the San Juan Court of First Instance by Tainaly Y. Serrano Rivera. She claims her voice was used without authorization in the phrase “Mira, puñeta, no me quiten el perreo” (“Hey, don’t take the ‘perreo’ away from me”), which appears in Bad Bunny’s track “Solo de Mí” from his album X100PRE, and again in “EoO” from his latest release, Debí tirar más fotos.

The lawsuit alleges that Serrano’s voice was used in both songs without her consent, without compensation, and without giving her any legal credit or rights across recordings, promotions, albums, concerts worldwide, and on social media, streaming platforms, TV, and radio. The filing argues that this violates her “moral rights of attribution.” Serrano is seeking $16 million in damages and wants the recording removed from all uses.

Not the first time Bad Bunny has faced rights‑related lawsuits

Last year, Bad Bunny’s ex‑girlfriend, Carliz de la Cruz, sued him for $40 million, claiming violations of image rights, moral rights, and copyright, along with damages. According to her lawsuit, filed in Puerto Rico, she recorded the now‑iconic tag “Bad Bunny, baby” back in 2015 — and the artist later used it in two songs: “Pa Ti” (2016) and “Dos Mil 16” (2022) from Un Verano Sin Ti. She also claims she was the one who came up with the phrase in the first place.

Although reports circulated suggesting she had won the case, De la Cruz has not confirmed any resolution.

In 2022, Bad Bunny also lost a copyright dispute over his hit “Safaera.” Rapper Missy Elliott accused him of using a guitar riff from her track “Get Ur Freak On” without permission. Joel Muñoz, of the duo Jowell & Randy — who appear on “Safaera” — later revealed that Elliott demanded millions for the sample. After negotiations, he said that he, Jowell, Randy, and Ñengo Flow ended up receiving only 1% of the royalties.

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