Rihanna confirms she declined the Super Bowl halftime show in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick

Rihanna.
(Image credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images)

The rumors are true, Rihanna has confirmed: she turned down the Super Bowl halftime show to support Colin Kaepernick.

Rihanna spoke with Vogue for a cover story published Wednesday and was asked about reports last year that she declined an offer to perform at the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show "because of the kneeling controversy," as US Weekly reported. Kaepernick in 2016 sparked a movement to kneel during the national anthem at NFL games to protest racial inequality and police brutality.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.