Before Saturday’s game at Dodger Stadium got underway, singer Nezza took the field for a national anthem performance that quickly became the center of attention.
The singer-songwriter, born Vanessa Hernandez, took to the field ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ June 14 matchup against the San Francisco Giants and launched into “El Pendón Estrellado,” the official Spanish version of the U.S. national anthem. It was a deliberate, defiant act of protest. According to a TikTok video, Nezza posted shortly after, the Dodgers had explicitly instructed her to sing it in English.
“Watch the Dodgers tell me I can’t sing the Spanish Star Spangled Banner that Roosevelt commissioned in 1945, so I did it anyway,” she wrote, captioning a backstage clip of a staffer delivering the team’s directive.
@babynezzapara mi gente ❤️ i stand with you♬ original sound – nezz
Nezza, rocking a T-shirt with the Dominican flag and colors, held back tears as she finished the anthem’s last line. In another video interview, she explained her choice: “I didn’t think I would be met with any sort of ‘No,’ especially because we’re in L.A. with everything happening. I’ve sang the national anthem many times in my life, but today I could not. I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente.”
Her defiance struck a nerve in a city already on edge. Over the past two weeks, L.A. has erupted in protest over ICE raids authorized by President Donald Trump.
More than 700 Marines have been deployed to the area. Images of families torn apart and mass detentions have flooded local news and social feeds.
The Dodgers, long considered a cultural symbol for the Latino community, have come under scrutiny for their silence. While MLS’s LAFC and NWSL’s Angel City have publicly expressed support for immigrant families—with “Immigrant City Football Club” tees and “ABOLISH ICE” banners—the Dodgers have offered no formal statement.
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Individual players, however, have not held back. Kiké Hernández wrote on Instagram: “I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused, and ripped apart.”
Former first baseman and current broadcaster Adrián González called the raids “unconstitutional” and demanded a stop to family separations.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, often a vocal leader on social justice, appeared caught off guard when pressed about the raids. “Honestly, I don’t know enough to be quite honest with you,” he told The Athletic. “I haven’t dug enough and can’t speak intelligently on it.”
Nezza, on the other hand, spoke volumes without ever naming ICE. “My parents are immigrants. They’ve been citizens my whole life at this point… but I just can’t imagine them being ripped away from me,” she said. “Even at this age, let alone a little kid. Like, what are we doing?”
@babynezzai love you guys stay safe out there
In a Power 106 interview, Nezza shared that after her performance, someone from the Dodgers allegedly told her manager, “Don’t email us. Don’t call us ever again. Your clients are never welcome here again.”
Despite fears she might be banned, she wasn’t removed from the stadium and is not expected to face formal consequences, according to The Athletic. Still, Nezza’s video closes with a sardonic sendoff: “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.”
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Nezza first gained attention through her YouTube channel, VVVSAYSDANCE, where her choreographed song covers and lifestyle content went viral. By 2019, she began releasing original tracks—including singles like Strangers and Good Love—culminating in her debut EP, Club Solita, in 2021 under Virgin Music.
