Nezza reveals she’s received death threats after singing national anthem at Dodgers game in Spanish

Vanessa Hernández, the Latin pop singer also known as Nezza, said she has received death threats since she performed the Spanish language rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” ahead of the Dodgers-Giants game on Saturday. 

But the singer and social media personality didn’t seem to be fazed by them in an interview with TMZ, and she was still proud of her decision to sing the anthem’s Spanish version. 

“The death threats are one thing, but that’s just the internet,” Nezza told the outlet. “I’m taking that as like that’s going to come with anything that involves politics. It’s going to involve a death threat here and there.”

Nezza becomes emotional as she sings the national anthem in Spanish before the Dodgers’ 11-5 win over the Giants at Dodger Stadium on June 14, 2025 in Los Angeles. Getty Images

Nezza added that she has seen people say that what she did was “disrespectful,” which she pushed back on, citing how the lyrics are the same as the original English version that Francis Scott Key wrote in 1814, and said it was “the same storyline.” 

“I was still singing that I’m a proud American because I am a proud American,” she said. “I was born here. I was raised here. My dreams came true here in LA. 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.”

Nezza’s 90-second rendition of the national anthem in Spanish came amid recent ICE raids in Los Angeles, which have led to protests in cities across the country. 

The anthem rendition went viral and made national headlines after she posted a video to TikTok that showed a Dodgers employee telling her, “We are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t transferred or if that wasn’t relayed.”

It then cut to her singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Spanish. 

Nezza sings the national anthem in Spanish before the Dodgers’ win over the Giants. Getty Images

The version Nezza sang — officially titled “El Pendón Estrellado” —  was commissioned by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945 and was written by Peruvian-American composer Clotilde Arias.

It remains the only official translation of the national anthem, according to The Smithsonian. 

Nezza, in an interview with the Associated Press, said that she was “super proud” of her decision and had “no regrets.” 

Nezza also said her manager received a call from a Dodgers employee after the performance, saying that their clients were not welcome at Dodger Stadium again. 

In statements to multiple outlets, the Dodgers have said there were no consequences and that Nezza would be welcomed back in the future.