Super Bowl halftime act Maroon 5 has been forced to cancel its planned pre-Super Bowl press conference because of a “backlash” against the group from supporters of former NFL second-string quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Deadline reports that Maroon 5 announced Tuesday that they will forgo the traditional pre-game conference, typically used to discuss plans for the band’s Super Bowl halftime extravaganza, “amid a backlash against the group tied to fans believing that Levine and Maroon 5 should cancel their performance in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who launched the on-field kneeling protests and has been without a team in the ensuing seasons.”
Instead, the NFL issued a statement Tuesday explaining that the band’s Super Bowl halftime show will speak for itself.
“Maroon 5 has been working hard on a Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show that will meet and exceed the standards of this event,” the NFL said. “As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday.”
The band also said early Wednesday that they plan on donating $500,000 to the Atlanta Big Brothers Big Sisters Club, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a charity with strong ties to the National Football League, and the donation will go through the NFL’s “#InspireChange” social justice initiative. – READ MORE