Bad Bunny Faces Million Dollar Lawsuit Over Puerto Rican Home

Bad Bunny may be one of the world’s biggest music stars, but not even he can dodge legal drama. The Puerto Rican rapper and singer is reportedly being sued for at least one million dollars, according to the Associated Press. And the issue? A brightly colored house with a whole lot of history.

The lawsuit was filed by Román Carrasco Delgado, an 84-year-old widower who lives in Humacao, a town on Puerto Rico’s southeastern coast. Carrasco’s salmon-colored three-bedroom home was featured in Bad Bunny’s short film Debí Tirar Más Fotos back in January.

Not only did the film showcase the home, but it later inspired a full-scale replica for the superstar’s 31-day residency, No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot. The replica, called “La Casita,” even became a hangout spot for celebrity guests during the show.

Carrasco says all this attention has turned his home into an unwanted landmark. “Large number of people” now show up every day to take pictures and videos, according to the AP. He says he has suffered “emotional distress,” privacy loss, and even hurtful online comments.

The lawsuit claims that Carrasco never fully understood how his house would be used. He says he gave some permission to scouts, but that he never agreed to his house becoming a tourist spot or a stage prop.

Carrasco cannot read or write but can sign his name. He says that officials used his signature on “two different contracts” without explaining their contents.

“Initially, these contracts were not delivered to Don Román, nor were their contents explained to him or read to him. The plaintiff was also unable to read them because he lacks such ability,” the lawsuit states, per the AP.

For the original film, he was paid $5,200. But now, with more than 22 million views on the short film and a full-scale replica of his home in Bad Bunny’s residency, Carrasco argues that amount is far from fair.

The home isn’t just any house to Carrasco. He told the AP he built it himself over four to five years for his late wife, who wanted to return to her hometown. To him, it holds deep sentimental value that goes way beyond bricks and paint.

Designer Mayna Magruder Ortiz told The New York Times that while the replica “La Casita” kept parts of the original layout, it was adjusted to fit the concert. For example, the kitchen was turned into a bar for guests.

Bad Bunny’s sixth album Debí Tirar Más Fotos came out on Jan. 5, followed shortly after by the Puerto Rico residency. The concert series has been a massive success, reportedly generating at least 200 million dollars for the local economy, CNN reported.

But for Carrasco, it has been a very different story. What was once his private family home is now at the center of a courtroom battle.