Penélope Cruz has credited Bad Bunny to help her achieve what she describes as an important parenting milestone: finally being considered cool by her kids. 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 talked about the benefits for parents of taking their kids to a Bad Bunny concert. The actress explained that her two children, son Leo, 15, and daughter Luna, 12, that she shares with her husband. Javier Bardemthey were the ones who initially introduced her to the Grammy-winning artist’s music. “So, I said, ‘These lyrics are not for you,'” the actress joked about some of the musician’s mature lyrical content. “You know, we were trying to fight it for a while, but then I was like listening non-stop to myself.” She acknowledged that while she initially resisted her children’s musical taste, she eventually became a devoted listener.
Introduction to the music of Bad Bunny
Cruz shared that the family attended the opening of Bad Bunny’s residency in his native Puerto Rico and has since attended five shows on his current international tour. The experience was 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 accompany him to say ‘Acho, PR es otra cosa,'” Cruz said, referencing the opening line of the musician’s song “VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR.” He took the stage with the artist to perform this emblematic moment of the show.That appearance turned out to be the turning point in his relationship with his teenage sons. “And finally my kids came up to me and said, ‘Mom, we can finally say you’re great,'” Cruz added as the host laughed as he recounted the moment. “Thank you Benito! It took me all these years,” she concluded humorously, acknowledging how long she had been waiting for her children to see her positively through that particular lens.
The parenting philosophy of Penélope Cruz
Cruz and Bardem, 57, married in 2010, and the actress has spoken about her parenting approach in previous interviews. In 2024, she spoke about her decision to keep her children off mobile devices. “It’s very easy to be manipulated, especially if you have a brain that’s still forming,” he told a major publication of his reasoning. “And who pays the price? Not us, not our generation, who learned maybe at 25 how a BlackBerry worked. It’s a cruel experiment on children, 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.
The recent success of Bad Bunny
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 flora, fauna and cultural traditions of the Caribbean island. The album garnered critical acclaim earning it three 2026 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Urban Music and Best Global Music Performance.Following his success at the Grammys, the Puerto Rican musician took to 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 the next performance is at a venue in Nanterre, France, near Paris, on Saturday 4th July.