Singer Nezza has said she was instructed not to sing the national anthem in Spanish before her performance at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, but chose to proceed in a show of support for migrants amid recent immigration enforcement activity across Southern California.
The performance took place ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the San Francisco Giants.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Nezza said she felt strongly about honouring the community affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, adding that she was “so proud” to have delivered the anthem in Spanish.
Her message quickly gained traction online, with her videos and posts amassing millions of views across social media platforms over the weekend.
Nezza did not disclose the names of the individuals who advised her against using Spanish in the performance, nor did she indicate whether there were further consequences.
The Dodgers organisation has not issued a comment.
Fans on social media have had their say, with Nezza receiving a mixed reaction for signing the US national anthem in Spanish.
The Dodgers org told Nezza she couldn’t sing the (official State-approved) Spanish version of our National Anthem yesterday.
She did it anyway.
True courage. https://t.co/sREdEdYsFH
— same at on the other app (@colleenawilson) June 15, 2025
Such a bummer for people who witnessed this and felt supported to learn that the @Dodgers tried to STOP her and she did it anyway. Sending love to Nezza for not backing down. The Dodgers org continues to be cowards. https://t.co/idE6mwDbkB
— valerie (@valeriesus) June 15, 2025
This is what happens when entitled and delusional libs think they have moral superiority. They only care about themselves and satisfying their own misguided emotional compasses.
Such a massive disrespect to our nation, and for what? For the fact that Americans want sovereignty…
— Aidan (@pneumascient) June 16, 2025
@Dodgers PR this year has been horrendous and insulting. First the WH visit, staying silent about ICE in LA, and now trying to stop her singing Spanish in front of a big Latino fan base.
— Lotusland Comics is on Threads (@ComicsLotusland) June 15, 2025
These people are evil. They see an illegal immigrant getting deported and feel sorry for them, but if they see a girl getting raped by illegal immigrants they feel nothing.
Leftism is a heartless ideology. Fake virtue hiding the lack of any real virtue.
— Jon (@JonnyThePhoenix) June 15, 2025
The anthem performance has since sparked discussion online around cultural representation, freedom of expression at public events, and the role of sport in political discourse.
Nezza is a Los Angeles-based singer and digital creator, known for incorporating themes of identity and heritage into her work.