Dodgers say Nezza is not banned from stadium for singing national anthem in Spanish
What started as a subtle act of protest has become national news.
Three days after singer and social media personality Nezza performed a Spanish version of the national anthem at Dodger Stadium — despite being asked by a team employee to sing it in English — the performer further addressed the situation Tuesday in an interview with CNN.
'With everything that's been happening, I just felt like I needed to stand with my people and show them that I'm with them,' Nezza (whose full name is Vanessa Hernández) said on CNN's The Lead. 'I wanted to represent them that day.'
Nezza's performance of the Spanish anthem — a version of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' commissioned by the U.S. State Department in 1945 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt — became a viral story after she posted a video on TikTok of an unidentified Dodgers employee telling her beforehand that 'we are going to do the song in English today, so I'm not sure if that wasn't relayed.'
Nezza proceeded to sing the Spanish version anyway; doing so on the same day thousands gathered downtown to protest President Trump and recent ICE raids around Los Angeles in the last two weeks.
In email communications with the team leading up to her performance, Nezza said she asked if she could sing the anthem in both English and Spanish, but was told no because she would only have a 90-second window for her performance.
Still, she said she arrived at the stadium 'fully thinking that I was welcome [to sing in Spanish], because nobody told me in that email thread, 'No, you can't.''
'Had they told me you can't have any Spanish in there,' she added, 'I would have respectfully declined and not shown up on Saturday.'
Instead, Nezza performed the anthem in Spanish prior to the Dodgers-Giants game, before posting two videos on TikTok explaining the situation that quickly went viral.
On Sunday, a Dodgers official told The Times in a statement that she would be welcome back at the stadium.
In Tuesday's CNN interview, Nezza said she was 'very shocked' to learn she was welcomed back at the ballpark, noting that '30 seconds after my performance, we actually received a call that said, 'Don't ever call us again. Don't ever email us again. The rest of your clients are never welcome here again.' So for me, that kind of feels like a ban.'
The Dodgers, however, reaffirmed to CNN that there were 'no hard feelings' resulting from the situation. And a team spokesperson confirmed to The Times this week that, 'She is certainly welcome back at the stadium. She is not banned from the stadium.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
Here's where Iran's arsenal stands as conflict with Israel continues
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down the status of Iran's weapons stockpile after days of exchanging fire with Israel.
UPI
2 hours ago
- UPI
Israel-Iran war: Khamenei warns 'battle begins,' launches hypersonic missiles
1 of 2 | As Iran fired two hypersonic missile barrages into Israel on Tuesday night, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote, "the battle begins." Earlier, President Donald Trump urged Khamenei to surrender. File Photo by Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is an "easy target," and Iran should surrender unconditionally, President Donald Trump said Tuesday before Iran's leader countered with his own warning, "the battle begins." As Iran fired two hypersonic missile barrages into Israel on Tuesday night, Khamenei wrote in a post on X, "In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins," along with an image of fire raining down on an ancient city. In a separate X account, he wrote in English, "We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime. We will show the Zionists no mercy." There were no injuries reported in Iran's attacks, as Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation order before a new wave of airstrikes in Tehran. Earlier Tuesday, Trump urged Khamenei to surrender. "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "He is an easy target but is safe there -- we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now," Trump continued. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians or American soldiers," he said, adding, "Our patience is wearing thin." In a subsequent post, Trump simply stated, "Unconditional surrender!" in all capital letters. Trump said he hasn't reached out to Iranian leaders and isn't "in the mood" to negotiate with them, ABC News reported. He said Israel has "complete and total control of the skies over Iran" due to "American-made, conceived and manufactured" arms. Trump posted his comments after Israeli and Iranian forces continued exchanging aerial assaults during the fifth day of the active war between the two nations. The president met with military advisers shortly after returning early from the G7 conference in Canada on Tuesday due to the situation in the Middle East. Israeli forces are targeting ballistic missile launch sites and command centers in central Iran. "We've struck deep, hitting Iran's nuclear ballistic capabilities," Israel Defense Forces said in a statement. "We have delivered significant blows to the Iranian regime, and as such, they have been pushed back into central Iran," the IDF statement says. "They are now focusing their efforts on conducting missile fire from the area of Isfahan." Meanwhile, Iranian officials have issued warnings to civilians in Tel Aviv and Haifa to evacuate because they are targeted for a "punitive operation." "The operations carried out so far have merely been warnings for deterrence," Iran's commander-in-chief Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Tuesday. "A punitive operation will be executed soon." He referred to the Israeli cities as "occupied territories" and said residents should leave them "for their own safety and not to become victims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's barbaric actions." The U.S. embassy in Israel announced it will close Wednesday for three days due to the escalating conflict. "As a result of the current security situation and ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, the U.S. Embassy has directed that all U.S. government employees and their family members continue to shelter in place and near their residences until further notice." The embassy, located in Jerusalem, said it had no information to assist private U.S. citizens who want to leave the country, adding that Israel's largest airport, Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, is closed.
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit
What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 12 videos What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Anne Burrell dead at 55 Anne Burrell, a chef and television personality whose joyful demeanor made her a beloved fixture on the Food Network, has died, according to the network. She was 55. 00:38 - Source: CNN NYC mayoral candidate arrested at immigration court New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was released from federal custody Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was arrested by officers at an immigration court in Manhattan when he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest. 01:48 - Source: CNN Trump's new phone looks a lot like one from China The Trump Organization says its upcoming T1 smartphone will be 'proudly designed and built in the United States.' But experts tell CNN they're skeptical that goal can be achieved-- and say the T1's specifications are strikingly similar to a Chinese-made phone already on the market. 01:07 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump's sons announce mobile phone company Trump Mobile, a wireless service created by the Trump Organization, aims to rival US carrier companies like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The Trump Organization, run by President Donald Trump's eldest sons Eric and Donald Jr., announced the business and launched a new gold smartphone for pre-order. 01:09 - Source: CNN Minnesota suspect went to 4 state lawmaker homes night of shootings The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in addition to the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife also visited two more politicians' homes, according to authorities. 02:08 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN The biggest moments from Karen Read murder trial closing arguments The jury is deliberating the fate of Karen Read in the murder trial of her Boston Police Officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. CNN's Jean Casarez shares the biggest moments from closing arguments of the trial. 02:18 - Source: CNN Juror dismissed in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' criminal trial The judge in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial has dismissed juror No. 6 over the juror's inconsistent disclosures about where he lives and with whom. Juror No. 6 will be replaced by the first alternate juror. 01:44 - Source: CNN Scene outside assassinated state representative's home CNN's Whitney Wild is outside the home of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, who was shot and killed in a "politically motivated assassination" along with her husband early Saturday morning. Police are still searching for the suspect. 00:41 - Source: CNN
