Nezza’s Spanish Anthem at Dodgers Game Sparks Death Threats, Debate

Vanessa Hernández, who performs as Nezza, stirred controversy at Dodger Stadium last Saturday with her Spanish rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Despite a team employee’s request to sing in English, Nezza went ahead with her version, a decision she tied to the ongoing protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles. Sporting a Dominican Republic shirt, she later shared on TikTok that the choice felt necessary, though it left her feeling unwelcome at the stadium.

The backlash has been fierce. Nezza told TMZ Sports she’s received death threats, with critics calling her performance disrespectful. She insists the lyrics remain true to the original, arguing, “If both versions were a music video, they’d be identical.” A proud American born and raised in L.A., Nezza believes advocating for a better country doesn’t diminish her patriotism.

Amid the hate, support has poured in from Latin community celebrities, which she says “outweighs” the negativity. Other L.A. teams, like the NWSL’s Angel City F.C., echoed the sentiment, distributing Immigrant City Football Club T-shirts at their weekend match. Nezza’s anthem performance coincided with No Kings protests nationwide, opposing a military parade in Washington, D.C., held on President Donald Trump’s birthday and the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary.