Rihanna Turned Down the Super Bowl in Support of Kaepernick
Entertainment

Rihanna Turned Down the Super Bowl in Support of Kaepernick

Icon of our times, Rihanna, is not only one of the most dominant performers of our time but also a beauty innovator, fashion mogul, and, most importantly, an artist with principles that is not afraid to be political. A fierce advocate for global access to education, Rihanna runs her own nonprofit, the Clara Lionel Foundation, and was recently named as an ambassador for Barbados.

So when Us Weekly broke word today that Rihanna had reportedly turned down an offer to headline Super Bowl LIII because of the NFL's treatment of Colin Kaepernick, the reaction wasn't so much surprise as it was uproarious applause. According an insider, Rihanna declined the offer because of the kneeling controversy surrounding Kaepernick's protest of police brutality during the national anthem, "she doesn't agree with the NFL's stance."

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The NFL banned all athlete protests following an outcry from conservatives, including President Trump, who felt Kaepernick's protest was disrespectful of the national anthem and flag. Kaepernick also filed a collusion case against the NFL after not being offered a position by any team as a free agent.

In response, a fierce outpouring of support for Kaepernick came from fans, activists, and numerous public figures. Everyone from Serena Williams to Jay-Z to Erykah Badu became vocal allies of the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. GQ named him their 'Citizen of the Year' and Nike's Ad campaign starring Kaepernick even ignited a new wave of conservative outrage.

Us Weekly even pointed out that Kaepernick once publicly admitted he had a crush on Rihanna, so it must be nice to see that the admiration goes both ways. In the meantime, we will just have to settle for Maroon 5, and possibly Cardi B, come Super Bowl LIII.