A major cloud of legal controversy has officially cleared for a global Latin music superstar. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court has dismissed key claims brought forward by Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, the ex-girlfriend of reggaeton icon Bad Bunny, regarding the allegedly unauthorized commercial use of her voice recording on his multi-platinum track “Pa Ti.”
The highly publicized legal war began when De La Cruz, an attorney who dated the musician for five years, filed a massive $40 million lawsuit. The dispute centered entirely on a distinctive audio snippet featuring her saying the catchphrase “Bad Bunny, baby.” De La Cruz asserted she originally invented and recorded the line inside an Arecibo bathroom long before the artist achieved global fame. The vocal fragment subsequently became a staple production element, appearing heavily in both the 2016 hit “Pa Ti” and the 2022 chart-topper “Dos Mil 16.”
In her initial legal filings, the plaintiff alleged that the unauthorized distribution of her voice constituted a severe violation of her moral rights of authorship, privacy, and commercial image. She noted that record executives attempted to purchase the rights to the sample for a mere $2,000 just days prior to an album release, an offer she formally rejected before the music was globally distributed anyway.
Following years of bitter jurisdictional battles between local and federal courts, the highest judicial body in Puerto Rico ultimately halted the litigation’s momentum. The high court’s definitive ruling effectively rejected the bulk of the intellectual property and image rights claims. The justices determined that the brief, informal voice note did not meet the strict statutory requirements to qualify for independent copyright protection or distinct commercial exploitation damages under current territorial legislation.
The decisive victory provides immense relief to the global Latin music superstar, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. With his legal team successfully neutralizing a potentially devastating multi-million dollar financial judgment, the artist can refocus completely on his upcoming global stadium tours and high-profile multimedia projects. While the ruling sets a massive legal precedent for how casual, intimate digital interactions are treated within the modern music industry, it brings a dramatic end to a long-standing personal and professional feud.
