THE national anthem singer who caused controversy at a Los Angeles Dodgers game has issued an emotional message.
Nezza, real name Vanessa Hernandez, sang the US national anthem in Spanish rather than England.
Nezza revealed she has received death threats from her national anthem performance[/caption]
She sang the US national anthem in Spanish before a game Saturday[/caption]
The 30-year-old TikTok star claims she was told by the Dodgers to sing in English but defied them.
And Hernandez has spoken to TMZ Sports about the backlash received from her decision.
Nezza even said she had received death threats.
She said, “I have received quite the backlash but it’s been way more positive and love so that kind of outweighs that.
“I already knew in my heart that what I did was right but this triple confirms it for me.
“The death threats are one things but that’s just the internet.
“I’m taking that as that is going to come from something like this.
“Anything that involves politics is going to involve a death threat.
“The main thing I have been seeing is that it was ‘disrespectful.’
“I don’t think it was because the lyrics are the exact same as the English version.
“I am a proud American. I was born here, raised her, my dreams came true here in LA.
“I think being a proud American and still wanting better for your country can be the same truth and I think people are forgetting that.”
Nezza took to the field to sing the anthem before Saturday’s Dodgers MLB game against the San Francisco Giants.
It took place on the same day as protests in Los Angeles over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
She posted a video to her 350,000 TikTok video with the caption, “Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish Star Spangled Banner that Roosevelt literally commissioned in 1945.”
Nezza then claimed “I did it anyway” and cut to a clip of her singing in Spanish.
She said, “I’m proud of myself for doing that today.
“Because my parents are immigrants and they’ve been citizens my whole life at this point.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers have not made a public statement on the issue.
The Los Angeles Times reports that a club executive told them they would not be making any comment.
