As widely reported, the headliner for the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show could have been Rihanna but she declined to perform in support of former NFL star and activist Colin Kaepernick.

According to US Weekly, the NFL was really gunning to book Rihanna for football’s biggest day. Rihanna reportedly declined the offer due to Kaepernick’s unfair treatment by the NFL, which stemmed from his 2016 protest of social injustice during the national anthem. Kaepernick has been blacklisted from the NFL and widely criticized by conservative Americans and Donald Trump. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is currently suing the NFL for colluding to prevent his employment in the league.