The Most Controversial Super Bowl Halftime Shows In History (2024)
Each year, American families and friends gather around the television in anticipation of the most watched broadcast of the year, the Super Bowl.
Initially, the spectacle began solely as a championship competition between the two best NFL teams of the season. However, as viewership numbers grew, the show quickly escalated to include numerous heart-warming and laughter-inducing commercials and spectacular halftime performances in a successful attempt to keep even those who don't enjoy the sport interested.
Now, the concerts showcased during the highly publicized game have become a crucial component of the Super Bowl experience. And while the publicity drawn from this yearly event is often met with enthusiastic approval, sometimes the show ends in a controversial disaster. Below are some of the most cringe-worthy halftime performances in Super Bowl history.
The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004, from Houston, Texas, on the CBS television network, is notable for a moment in which Janet Jackson's right breast and nipple—adorned with a nipple shield—was exposed by Justin Timberlake to the viewing public.
Perhaps the most infamous moment in halftime show history, Justin Timberlake's "wardrobe malfunction" during a performance with Janet Jackson led to the exposure of Jackson's breast on live television, sparking widespread outrage and controversy.
The incident, sometimes referred to as Nipplegate or Janetgate, led to an immediate crackdown and widespread discourse on perceived indecency in broadcasting. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake immediately after he tore off part of her clothing covering her breast at the end of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.
Adele talked about turning down the halftime show during a 2016 concert in Los Angeles, per Billboard. After rumors swirled that Adele would perform at the 2017 Super Bowl, she told a crowd at a 2016 concert in Los Angeles that she rejected the offer. "First of all, I'm not doing the Super Bowl.
Moreover, the band placed all of their studio albums inside the Billboard 200 chart after the concert, while Beyoncé became subject of controversy for performing "Formation", since she had aligned herself with the Black Lives Matter movement. Conservatives likewise accused Coldplay of promoting a "gay agenda".
Rihanna. Rihanna performs during Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. With 121 million viewers, Rihanna's 2023 performance during Super Bowl LVII is the most-watched halftime show in history.
With Super Bowl LVIII almost upon us and big anticipation for headline act Usher hitting the stage between the action as the Chiefs and 49ers go up against each other, it's hard to believe that some stars have previously refused to participate in the Super Bowl's halftime show, citing reasons from disagreement with the ...
In a rematch of Super Bowl LIV from four years earlier, the American Football Conference (AFC) champion and defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime.
Introduction: My name is Jonah Leffler, I am a determined, faithful, outstanding, inexpensive, cheerful, determined, smiling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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