Us Weekly was first to report the news on Thursday that Rihanna turned down an offer to perform the coveted Super Bowl halftime show, a gig that was later accepted by Adam Levine’s band, “pretty much.”
A source told Entertainment Tonight, “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.” The source added that Rihanna “stands with the players and Colin Kaepernick.” Kaepernick was effectively blacklisted from the NFL after his public protest of systemic violence against black Americans.
The source went on to say “The offer and exposure would have been great for Rihanna as she’s planning a new album and tour but she stuck to what’s right in her eyes.” Rihanna, release the album on Super Bowl Sunday.
A second source told Entertainment Tonight that Pink was also asked to perform during the halftime show but that she and Rihanna both turned down the job after negotiations took too long.
