Bad Bunny has secured a partial victory in the long-running legal battle over the iconic "Bad Bunny Baby" voice tag, after Puerto Rico's courts ruled that only part of the lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Carliz De La Cruz Hernández, can continue.
The court determined that De La Cruz Hernández's claims related to the use of the recording in the song 'Pa Ti' cannot proceed. However, it allowed the central portion of the case involving the use of the "Bad Bunny Baby" recording to move forward, leaving unresolved whether the reggaeton superstar and his record label improperly used the recording without her authorization.
The judges also dismissed the plaintiff's claims seeking compensation for alleged damage to her dignity and reputation, significantly narrowing the scope of the case. As a result, the litigation will now focus primarily on the alleged unauthorized commercial use of the recording and any economic damages that may have resulted.
En una sentencia que confirma en parte y revoca algunas causas de acción contra Rimas Entertainment - manejadores de Bad Bunny - el Tribunal Supremo determinó que la ex novia del artista, Carliz De la Cruz Hernández tiene derecho a reclamar por el uso de su voz en una frase… pic.twitter.com/OxG574JoOg
— BonitaRadio (@Bonita_Radio) July 9, 2026
De La Cruz Hernández filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging that she recorded the phrase "Bad Bunny Baby" while she and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, were in a relationship.
According to the complaint, the recording was later incorporated into the songs 'Pa Ti' and 'Dos Mil 16' without her consent after negotiations over compensation broke down. She originally sought $40 million in damages from the artist, his manager, and Rimas Entertainment.
The lawsuit has become one of the most closely watched legal disputes involving Latin music, raising broader questions about ownership of voice recordings, personality rights and consent in the music industry. While the dismissal of several claims represents a legal win for Bad Bunny, the court's decision means the core dispute over the use of the "Bad Bunny Baby" recording remains unresolved and will continue through Puerto Rico's judicial system.
The ruling comes as Bad Bunny is also facing a separate lawsuit in Puerto Rico filed earlier this year by Tainaly Serrano Rivera, who alleges that her voice was used without authorization in the songs 'Solo de Mí' and 'EoO'. That case is unrelated to the "Bad Bunny Baby" litigation but similarly centers on alleged unauthorized use of voice recordings.
