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Vanessa Hernández, known by her stage name Nezza, sang a Spanish rendition of the United States’ national anthem at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night, and she claimed the team wished she did not.
Now, the singer is saying she has since received death threats for her performance.
Nezza, wearing a Dominican Republic shirt while performing, posted a video on TikTok of a team employee telling her, “We are going to do the song in English today.”
Nezza decided to sing the Spanish version anyway, saying in a later TikTok video that it was in response to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in Los Angeles that has led to protests and unrest in the city.
She said the backlash she has received has been harmful.
“That’s just the internet. That’s going to come with something like that. Anything that involves politics is going to include a death threat here and there,” Nezza said to TMZ Sports.
“The main thing I’ve seen seeing is that it’s disrespectful. I don’t think it’s disrespectful, because the lyrics are still the same exact lyrics as the English version. If both songs were made into a music video, it’d be the exact music video.
“I’m a proud American. I was born here, raised here, my dreams came true here in L.A. I think being a proud American and still wanting better for your country can still be the same truth, and I think people are forgetting that.”
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Nezza said she has also received support from celebrities in the Latin community, which “outweighs” the hate.
“It’s been really sweet to see people you idolize be on the right side of history…” she said. “I already knew in my heart what I did was right, but this just triple-confirms it.”
In the aforementioned TikTok, Nezza said she “just felt like I needed to” sing the Spanish version – but now she does “not feel welcome back” at Dodger Stadium.
Other Los Angeles-based professional sports teams have taken a stance, including the NWSL’s Angely City F.C., which gave fans “Immigrant City Football Club” T-shirts at their game on Saturday. Players were also seen warming up with the t-shirts on before their match to show support for those protesting.
Nezza’s Spanish rendition of the anthem came on the day of numerous “No Kings” protests, which were against the military parade in Washington, D.C., that coincided with President Donald Trump‘s birthday, across the country.
Trump’s birthday was also the 250th birthday celebration of the United States Army.
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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