Bad Bunny doesn't care. Seriously. While the internet spends hours dissecting his music videos, his outfits, and his dating life to answer the question Bad Bunny es gay, the man himself is busy being the biggest star on the planet. He’s a shapeshifter. One day he’s in a wrestling ring, the next he’s wearing a corset on a red carpet, and the day after that he’s seen out with a high-profile female model. It’s confusing for people who like neat little boxes.
The Puerto Rican superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has made a career out of blurring lines. He’s not the first to do it—think Prince or David Bowie—but in the world of Machismo-heavy reggaeton, his approach is radical. People see him in a dress or kissing a male dancer on stage and immediately run to Google. They want a label. They want a "yes" or a "no." But Benito has always played a different game.
The Viral Moments That Fueled the Rumors
Let’s talk about the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. That was a big one. During his performance of "Titi Me Preguntó," Bad Bunny leaned over and kissed one of his male backup dancers. The internet exploded. People were convinced this was his "coming out" moment. But was it? Or was it just a performance?
The reality is that Benito uses his platform to challenge traditional masculinity. He’s been vocal about his support for the LGBTQ+ community for years. Remember the "Yo Perreo Sola" video? He dressed in full drag. It wasn't a joke or a parody; it was a statement. He wanted to show that men can be feminine and that the genre of reggaeton needs to be safer for everyone.
Then there’s his fashion. He wears skirts. He wears long, acrylic nails. He wears pink. In a culture where "toughness" is often equated with a very specific type of heterosexual presentation, his choices feel like a rebellion. This rebellion is exactly why the search term Bad Bunny es gay stays trending. People can’t wrap their heads around a man who is clearly attracted to women but refuses to perform "manhood" the way their grandfathers did.
What He Has Actually Said About His Sexuality
He's been asked. Obviously. In a 2020 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he gave an answer that was remarkably honest and, for some, remarkably frustrating. He said that at the moment, he is heterosexual and likes women. But he didn't stop there. He added that he doesn't know if in twenty years he will like a man. He said, "One never knows in life."
That’s a huge distinction.
Most celebrities give a firm "no" to shut down rumors. Benito gave a "not right now, but who knows?" This fluidity is core to who he is. He’s basically saying that labels are a trap. He doesn't want to be defined by who he sleeps with, but rather by how he feels in the moment. It’s a very Gen Z approach to identity, even if it leaves older fans scratching their heads.
- He supports LGBTQ+ rights openly.
- He speaks out against transphobia (like when he wore a shirt honoring Alexa Negrón Luciano).
- He experiments with queer aesthetics in his art.
- He maintains a level of mystery about his private life.
You won't find a press release where he identifies as gay. You won't find a "coming out" post on Instagram. What you will find is a constant, deliberate effort to dismantle the idea that you have to be one specific thing to be successful in Latin music.
The Kendall Jenner and Gabriela Berlingeri Factor
If we’re looking at his public dating history, it leans heavily toward women. For years, he was linked to Gabriela Berlingeri. She was everywhere with him—in his videos, on his social media, even credited as a collaborator. They seemed inseparable. Fans loved them together because she felt "real."
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Then came the Kendall Jenner era. That threw everyone for a loop. Seeing the king of Puerto Rico courtside with a Kardashian-Jenner sister felt like a strange crossover episode. They were spotted together at Coachella, on horse rides, and at Gucci shoots. Critics called it a PR stunt. Fans called it a betrayal of his roots. But for the purpose of the Bad Bunny es gay debate, it served as a counter-narrative.
If he were "secretly gay," as the conspiracy theorists suggest, why maintain such high-profile relationships with famous women? Some say it's a "beard" situation. That feels a bit 1950s Hollywood, though. In 2026, the more likely scenario is that he just dates who he wants, and right now, that's women.
Why the Labels Matter to the Public
Why are we so obsessed with this? It’s not just celebrity gossip. It’s about representation. For many queer fans in the Latinx community, seeing someone like Bad Bunny—someone who sits at the top of the charts—embrace "feminine" traits is life-changing. It validates their existence in a space that has historically been homophobic.
When people search Bad Bunny es gay, they might be looking for a hero. They might be looking for someone to say, "Hey, I’m like you, and I’m the most famous person on earth."
On the flip side, there’s a segment of the audience that uses the question as a weapon. They use it to mock him or to claim he’s "ruining" the genre. For them, his refusal to be a "traditional" man is a threat. By staying in the middle—by being "fluid" or "ambiguous"—Bad Bunny actually forces both sides to deal with their own biases. He isn't giving anyone the easy answer they want.
Queerbaiting or Authentic Expression?
This brings up the "queerbaiting" accusation. It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot lately. Queerbaiting is when a straight person uses queer aesthetics or hints at same-sex attraction just to get attention from the LGBTQ+ community without actually being part of it.
Is Benito queerbaiting? Some activists say yes. They argue that he profits from "queer culture" while still enjoying the privilege of being a straight-passing man who dates supermodels. They want him to take a firm stand.
Others argue that this is an unfair standard. If a man wants to wear a dress, does he have to be gay to do it? If he wants to kiss a man as part of a performance, does that require a public confession of his sexuality? If we insist that only gay men can do "gay things," aren't we just creating new boxes? Benito seems to think so. His art is about breaking boxes, not moving from one to another.
Breaking Down the "Evidence"
If you spend five minutes on TikTok, you’ll see "evidence" videos. They’ll show a clip of him looking at a man a certain way, or they’ll analyze the lyrics to "Safaera." It’s a rabbit hole.
- The Nails: He’s been wearing them since the beginning. He once complained on social media that a salon in Spain wouldn't paint his nails because he’s a man. That was a turning point for his public image as a gender-nonconforming icon.
- The Drag: In "Yo Perreo Sola," he didn't just put on a wig. He became a character. He did it to emphasize that women should be able to dance alone in a club without being harassed.
- The Lyrics: He often uses gender-neutral language or flips perspectives in his songs.
- The Kisses: He’s kissed men and women on stage. To him, it seems like art. To the public, it’s a headline.
Honestly, it’s exhausting to keep track. If you’re looking for a smoking gun that proves Bad Bunny es gay, you aren't going to find it. What you’ll find is a man who is incredibly comfortable with himself. That comfort is what people mistake for a "secret."
The Cultural Impact in Latin America
We have to look at the context of Puerto Rico and Latin America. This isn't Los Angeles or New York. The "machismo" culture is real and it is heavy. For a reggaetonero—a genre born from the streets and often associated with hyper-masculinity—to do what he does is massive.
He has changed the way young men in Puerto Rico dress. You see more guys with painted nails. You see more guys experimenting with fashion. He has made it "cool" to be sensitive and weird. That is a much bigger legacy than his actual sexual orientation. He’s creating space for the next generation to not have to answer these questions at all.
Understanding Fluidity in 2026
We are living in an era where identity is becoming less rigid. The binary of "straight" vs "gay" is starting to feel outdated to a lot of people. Benito is the poster child for this shift. He might be 100% straight, he might be bisexual, or he might just be a guy who likes what he likes without needing a name for it.
When you see the phrase Bad Bunny es gay pop up, remember that the person typing it is usually looking for a simple answer to a complex person. But Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio isn't a simple person. He’s a brand, an artist, and a human being who is evolving in front of millions of people.
He’s told us who he is. He’s a "New Legend." He’s a "King of Latin Trap." He’s a wrestler. He’s a fashion icon. If he ever decides to come out as gay, he’ll probably do it in a way no one expects—maybe in a song, or maybe by just showing up to an event with a boyfriend and not saying a word about it. Until then, everything else is just noise.
What to Take Away From the Mystery
Stop looking for a confession. You’re not going to get one, and honestly, we don't need one. The value Bad Bunny brings isn't in his sexual identity; it's in his refusal to be shamed into a category.
If you want to understand him, stop focusing on the "is he or isn't he" and start looking at what he's doing for the culture. He's making it okay to be different. He's showing that you can be the most successful artist in the world while still wearing a skirt and painting your nails. That’s the real story.
Moving Forward: How to Engage with the Conversation
- Listen to the lyrics: Instead of looking at photos, listen to the messages in his albums like Un Verano Sin Ti or Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana. He talks about loneliness, fame, and desire in ways that transcend labels.
- Support the message: Whether he's gay or not, his support for the LGBTQ+ community is documented and real. You can appreciate the advocacy without needing him to be a "member" of the group.
- Respect the boundaries: He has been very clear that he values his privacy. While he shares a lot of his art, his personal life belongs to him.
- Watch the evolution: He is only in his early 30s. As he said, "One never knows." Let him grow and change without demanding he stay the same forever.
The obsession with Bad Bunny es gay says more about our society’s need for labels than it does about Benito’s actual life. He’s living out loud, and for now, that should be enough.