Tag: kaepernick
Thousands Have Signed Petition Asking Maroon 5 to Cancel Super Bowl Show to Support Kaepernick
Thousands of people are asking the members of Maroon 5 to stay away from the Super Bowl.
Months after a source confirmed to PEOPLE in September that Maroon 5 is slated to perform at the halftime show, more than 47,000 people have added their names to a Change.org petition asking the band to back out.
The petition says that Maroon 5 should exit the show to support Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who started the #TakeAKnee movement in 2016 to protest police brutality and other racial injustices.
“Kaepernick risked his career to take a knee for equality, and the NFL punished him for it,” the petition reads. “Until the league changes their policy and support players’ constitutional right to protest, no artists should agree to work with the NFL. Join me in asking Maroon 5 to drop out of the 2019 Super Bowl halftime show.”
“Colin Kaepernick has sacrificed his NFL career to call out violent racism in America, and players across the country have followed his lead,” the petition continues. “Maroon 5: Americans look to artists and celebrities as leaders, and you have huge opportunity to use your influence to take a stand.”
On Friday, lead singer Adam Levine quipped, “What the hell are you talking about?” when his Super Bowl gig came up on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“It’s a rumor. I can neither confirm nor deny the truth of this rumor. It’s definitely a rumor. And the rumor is a rumor that everyone seems to be discussing,” he said.
“It’s the Super Bowl. It’s a great event, and there’s going to be a band performing or an artist of some kind at halftime,” he said, jokingly crossing his fingers. “Whoever is lucky enough to get that gig probably is gonna crush it. … Whoever does it is probably equal parts nervous and excited. This is all speculative because I don’t know who I’m talking about.”
The petition mentioned Rihanna, who reportedly turned down the opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl.
“Yes, they asked her, and yes, she declined,” a source told PEOPLE in October, noting that her choice was likely intended to support Kaepernick.
After the news broke, Amy Schumer posted on Instagram in October, “Wouldn’t it be so cool if @adamlevine and @maroon5 stepped down too? What do you guys think?”
The following day, Schumer wrote, “I think it would be cool if @maroon5 backed out of super bowl like @badgalriri Did. I personally told my reps I wouldn’t do a Super Bowl commercial this year. I know it must sound like a privilege a— sacrifice but it’s all i got. Hitting the nfl with the advertisers is the only way to really hurt them.”