According to a report that surfaced via US Weekly, superstar Rihanna was originally offered the slot to headline the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show in Atlanta, but turned it down in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.

Kapernick was of course, the first player to kneel during the National Anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality. His stance has ignited the conversation nationally, but come at great personal cost to Kapernick—he's been a free agent for three seasons now, being unceremoniously blackballed from the NFL despite being one of the best quarterbacks in the world.

In September, Nike launched a massive advertising campaign featuring Kapernick with the tag line, "Believe in something, even if it costs you everything," and the subsequent "backlash" of dissenting people online burning their Nike gear also resulted in a $6b—yes BILLION—windfall for the company since, bolstered by other supporters who applauded their alignment with the quarterback and bought product.

According to the insider who leaked, “The NFL and CBS really wanted Rihanna to be next year’s performer in Atlanta. They offered it to her, but she said no because of the kneeling controversy. She doesn’t agree with the NFL’s stance.”

After which, Maroon 5 were named headliners.