Penélope Cruz has credited Bad Bunny with helping her achieve what she describes as a major parenting milestone: finally being considered cool by her children. The 52-year-old actress opened up about her experience meeting the musician during a recent appearance.During an interview on ‘Hot Ones’ with host Sean Evans on Thursday, July 2, Cruz discussed the parenting benefits of taking her children to a Bad Bunny concert. The actress explained that her two children, son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 12, who she shares with husband Javier Bardem, were the ones who initially introduced her to the grammy-winning artist’s music. “So, I was like, ‘These lyrics are not for you,’” the actress joked of some of the musician’s mature lyrical content. “You know, we were trying to fight that for a while, but then I was like non-stop listening by myself.” She acknowledged that while she initially resisted her children’s musical taste, she eventually became a devoted listener herself.
Introduction to Bad Bunny’s music
Cruz shared that the family attended the opening of Bad Bunny’s residency in his native Puerto Rico and has since been to five shows on his current international tour. The experience proved transformative for her relationship with her teenagers and their perception of her.
The moment that changed everything
During the opening of the Puerto Rico residency, an unexpected opportunity arose. “But the first one in Puerto Rico is when Benito came to me and asked me to go with him to say the ‘Acho, PR es otra cosa,’” Cruz said, referencing the opening line of the musician’s song “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR.” She went on stage with the artist to perform this iconic moment from the show.That appearance proved to be the turning point in her standing with her teenage children. “And finally my kids came to me and said, ‘Mom, finally you we can say you are cool,’” Cruz added as the host laughed at her recounting of the moment. “Thank you Benito! It took me all these years,” she concluded with humour, acknowledging how long she had been waiting for her children to view her positively through that particular lens.
Penélope Cruz’s parenting philosophy
Cruz and Bardem, 57, married in 2010, and the actress has been vocal about her parenting approach in previous interviews. In 2024, she discussed her decision to keep her children off cellular devices. “It’s so easy to be manipulated, especially if you have a brain that is still forming,” she told a major publication of her reasoning. “And who pays the price? Not us, not our generation, who, maybe at 25, learned how a BlackBerry worked. It’s a cruel experiment on children, on teenagers.”Her protective stance on technology contrasts with her willingness to embrace her children’s musical interests, even when those interests initially gave her pause.
Bad Bunny’s recent success
Bad Bunny’s international recognition reached new heights with his sixth solo studio album, which serves as a celebration of his native Puerto Rico filled with references to the Caribbean island’s flora, fauna and cultural traditions. The album garnered significant critical acclaim earning him three Grammy Awards in 2026 for Album of the Year Best Música Urbana and Best Global Music Performance.Following his Grammy success, the Puerto Rican musician took the stage to headline the ‘Super Bowl Halftime Show’ in February 2026 cementing his position as one of the world’s most prominent musical artists. He is currently on his DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour and will next perform at a venue in Nanterre, France near Paris on Saturday, July 4.
