Super Bowl 2017 News and Updates: NFL Denies Prohibiting Lady Gaga to Speak About Politics at Halftime Performance
The National Football League (NFL) recently denied that they have asked pop superstar Lady Gaga to refrain from tackling politics, or President-elect Donald Trump in particular, during her Super Bowl 2017 halftime performance at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Feb. 5.
On Tuesday, Entertainment Tonight (ET) reported they got a tip that the NFL has barred the superstar performer from discussing politics or the results of the last U.S. election.
ET quoted an unnamed source "close to the halftime show" saying, "Lady Gaga was told by the NFL that she cannot say anything or bring anything up about the election, or mention Donald Trump."
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However, shortly after this revelation made rounds, an NFL spokesman commented that the news was "unsourced nonsense from people trying to stir up controversy where there is none."
The NFL addressed the issue through a statement that says, "The Super Bowl is a time when people really come together. Lady Gaga is focused on putting together an amazing show for fans and we love working with her on it; we aren't going to be distracted by this."
The "Million Reasons" singer is one of the many music artists that have been very vocal critics of Trump since the campaign period. When Trump was already apparently winning the presidential race, Lady Gaga staged a protest by going up on one of the sanitation trucks outside the Trump Tower in New York City and held up a sign that read "Love trumps hate."
Lady Gaga is not new to the Super Bowl stage. She delivered a well-received performance of the national anthem to open the big sporting event last year.
The NFL is also not new to performances with a political touch. It can be recalled that Beyoncé's Super Bowl halftime performance last year sparked some scrutiny after some people deemed that her halftime show was a nod to the revolutionary Black Panther Movement.
Lady Gaga has yet to react to the issue. But, on a good note, she seems to be passionately preparing for the show.
The same day the report of her being barred from speaking about politics during Super Bowl surfaced, she posted a fun GIF photo with her backup dancers while having rehearsals in her own backyard where they had an entire tent put up with a dance floor inside.
