Rihanna just proved once again that she's an artist worth stanning. According to Entertainment Tonight, the singer turned down the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show in support of Colin Kaepernick. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback made headlines back in 2016 when he knelt during the national anthem in protest of racial inequality and police brutality in America. In response, the NFL said they would begin fining players who knelt, but then suspended the policy in July, leaving it up to individual teams.
A source told the outlet that “Rihanna was the front-runner for next year’s super bowl halftime show. CBS and the NFL reached out to Rihanna first, who after thinking about the offer, decided to pass due to the NFL and the situation regarding players kneeling."
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While no formal announcement has been made regarding the February 3, 2019 show, it is believed that Maroon 5 has signed on to perform. However, the Rihanna news has prompted some to call for the band to take similar action.
"Posted by my friend @yamaneika wouldn’t it be so cool if @adamlevine and @maroon5 stepped down too?" Amy Schumer wrote on Instagram. "What do you guys think?"
Reps for Rihanna and Maroon 5 did not immediately return Refinery29's requests for comment.