Rihanna Getting Called Out For Previous Super Bowl Stance Related to NFL’s Treatment of Colin Kaepernick

Rihanna has done a 180 about doing the Super Bowl halftime show.

The singer’s highly anticipated return to the stage will include the first halftime show under the N.F.L.’s new sponsorship deal with Apple Music. Rihanna quickly confirmed to the world that she would be headlining the LVII Halftime Show with a picture of an NFL branded football on her Instagram. Roc Nation followed shortly after, officially confirming their participation as the strategic entertainment advisors of Rihanna’s live performance.

Rihanna’s move marks a big change from the singer, who previously turned down an offer to headline the show in 2019 to show solidarity with the NFL star Colin Kaepernick. A former starting quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick hasn’t played in the league since 2016 after his decision to kneel during the pre-game national anthem. He since claims he’s been blackballed from the league over his protests.

Kaepernick later filed a lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that the leagues owner’s were colluding to keep him off the field.

Rihanna said at the time that she would have been an “enabler” if she had accepted the slot.

“I just couldn’t be a sell-out,” she told Vogue magazine. “There’s things within that organization that I do not agree with at all, and I was not about to go and be of service to them in any way.”

Of course Social Media didn’t forget about her previous comments.

Sell out !!

— John El Guero (@Elguerojohn1980) September 27, 2022

So Rihanna said she couldn't "sell out" in 2019 for the SB. But now guess she's ok with it in 2023 for the SB. I guess when your star starts to dim, you drop your standards a bit.

— Keep On Kraken (@rdnzl9808) September 26, 2022

Rihanna was asked to perform at superbowl 2019 You said you could Never support the NFL that doing that would make you a Sell Out and you stand with Kapernick .. all we Got in This Life is are,,,WORD

— Paul (@Rocky130753058) September 26, 2022

1) Oh really? So where is the criticism for Rihanna going back on her word and basically becoming a sell out? The only people talking about it are the hive cuz we have to. We won’t let it get brushed under the rug cuz we know that if this was bey doing the SuperBowl she..(contd)

— jboogie5986 (@jboogie5986) September 26, 2022

Rihanna doing the Super Bowl? I don’t wanna call her a sell out but the shoe might fit 🙃 pic.twitter.com/hO2ulkl48h

— Tsu (@_GianniTsunami) September 26, 2022

So Rihanna is a sell out now 3 years later .. can’t get away from the hypocrisy

— muffy28 (@mlfagan) September 26, 2022

Feeding ya baby will make you sell out and @rihanna won’t be the first mother to do it. Nor the last. #getthebag

— PinkHouseArtStudios (@PinkHouseModel5) September 26, 2022

She’s a hypocrite and a sell out. She ended up agreeing to do the Super Bowl.

— 😈😈😈 (@ols_p) September 26, 2022

The show is easily one of the most coveted slots in music, with this year’s 14-minute spectacle drawing in more than 120 million viewers, the NFL said.

Amazing how things have changed for Rihanna in only a few years.

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