Rihanna was in the running to headline the halftime show at the next Super Bowl, but she turned them down because she’s standing with Colin Kaepernick. “The NFL and CBS really wanted Rihanna to be next year’s performer in Atlanta,” says an insider. “They offered it to her, but she said no because of the kneeling controversy. She doesn’t agree with the NFL’s stance.”
To review, Colin started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. The former San Francisco 49er hasn’t played since the 2016 season. He accused the league and its owners of colluding to keep him off the field in a grievance he filed against them last November.
Rihanna wasn’t the only one who got the offer. They also approached Pink, but the negotiations took too long and she moved on. No word on her stance on the kneeling controversy. They ended up going with Maroon 5.