Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Rihannareportedly has a powerful reason for turning down the opportunity to perform at next year’sSuper Bowl.
“Yes they asked her and yes, she declined,” a source with knowledge of the situation tells PEOPLE, adding that the decision was likely made in support of former San Francisco 49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick.
“That’s certainly what everyone at the NFL believes,” the insider adds. “I don’t work withRihannaso I don’t know what her camp told them, but the word within the organization is that’s why she said no.”
Us Weeklywas the first to report the news.
“We chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture,” Reid wrote in anop-ed for theNew York Timesin 2017. “I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy.”
Kaepernick later went on to clarify that the protest was not about disrespecting the U.S. military.
While the silent act of protest quickly spread to other NFL teams, it also generated substantial backlash. In March 2017, the quarterback opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
Kaepernick is also thenew face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.
In the powerful ad, a black and white photograph of the athlete’s face is superimposed with the words: “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”
While Rihanna won’t be taking the stage at the upcoming 2019 Super Bowl, a source previously confirmed to PEOPLE thatMaroon 5 will be.
“It’s a Super Bowl tradition to speculate about the performers for the Pepsi Halftime Show,” it reads. “We are continuing to work with [longtime sponsor] Pepsi on our plans but do not have any announcements to make on what will be another epic show.”
source: people.com
