Latin trap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny attracted controversy online after he was seen touching ancient artefacts at a Mexican museum. Photo / Instagram
Latin trap and reggaeton artist Bad Bunny attracted controversy online after he was seen touching ancient artefacts at a Mexican museum. Photo / Instagram
Rap superstar Bad Bunny has been taken to task online after posting photos of himself touching a historical monument at a Mexican museum.
The offending photos were taken while he was on a guided tour of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Mexico City last month, accordingto People.
One of the images, posted to his Instagram story, showed him in the exhibit arm, arm outstretched with his hand opened and planted on an ancient stone column engraved with ancient Mayan images and hieroglyphics.
Daily Mail estimated the stone was created between 250 and 900 AD.
Social media reaction to the incident was unfavourable, with many deeming Bad Bunny, 30, to be ignorant and disrespectful.
“Obviously thought the rules didn’t apply to him because he’s famous, the superiority is sickening, they don’t know how to be humble,” an X user wrote.
“What privilege does he have to go around touching artefacts?” asked another.
Another user said the Tití Me Preguntó rapper thought of himself as a “hotshot”, saying “not even going to a museum gets rid of his tacky ways”.
TMZ reported that museum staff responded swiftly to the incident and reminded him of the museum rules.
Bad Bunny was named Spotify's top global artist of 2025 with close to 20 billion streams. Photo / Chad Batka, The New York Times
INAH released a statement on social media explaining what happened.
“Museum security personnel warned the artist that touching the archaeological pieces was not permitted; after the instruction, the musician immediately removed his hand from the artwork,” the museum said.
“As is public knowledge, physical contact with archaeological goods is prohibited.”
INAH emphasised that Mexico’s cultural heritage should be respected by all visitors and warned against physically handling priceless artefacts, as even light contact can cause lasting damage.
Mexico’s Federal Law on Monuments outlines that touching, damaging or removing museum artefacts can result in hefty fines and even jail time, according to the Daily Mail.
Bad Bunny has since removed the post from his social media.
