The NFL wants $1.5 million from M.I.A. for flipping the bird during the Super Bowl
The NFL has reportedly been waging a secret legal battle with M.I.A. over the rapper’s Super Bowl swear fest. For those who (understandably) might not remember, while performing during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show with Madonna, M.I.A. both gave the camera the middle finger and visibly mouthed the words, “I don’t give a shit” during “Give Me All Your Luvin’.” While the British rapper (again, understandably) thinks it’s bullshit that this was a big deal, the NFL doesn’t, secretly entering into arbitration against the rapper in March of 2012. And the league is still seeking $1.5 million from M.I.A. for allegedly breaching her performance contract, while also tarnishing the innocent reputation of a game based around grown men violently hitting each other.
While M.I.A. wasn’t actually paid for the performance—the exposure is believed to be payment enough—she did have to enter into an agreement before the game acknowledging “the great value of the goodwill associated with the NFL and the tremendous public respect and reputation for wholesomeness enjoyed by the NFL.” Furthermore, her contract stated that “all elements of [her] performance, including without limitation [her] wardrobe, shall be consistent with such goodwill and reputation.”