Shaquille O’Neal has defended Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance, telling those who criticized the 9x Grammy winner to “shut the f*** up.” Speaking on his podcast, The Big Fella passionately defended the singer, saying she did a wonderful job, considering she’s pregnant, and that people have too much freedom to criticize others. O’Neal said it was the first time he had ever seen the “Umbrella” artist perform live, and if he were in A$AP Rocky’s shoes, he would defend her, calling out rappers and presidential candidates to leave her alone.
Former President Donald Trump also criticized Rihanna’s performance, calling it an “epic fail” and “the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history.” Other high-profile names, including WWE legend Goldberg, were also unimpressed by the 13-minute set, but despite the polarizing response, 118.7 million viewers watched the show.
Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance included some of her biggest hits, including “Umbrella,” “Work,” and “Pour It Up.” The singer, who has not released new music since 2016, took to the stage alongside special guests such as Bad Bunny and JAY-Z, who served as executive producer. While some praised the performance, others criticized it for its perceived lack of energy and for being too short.
However, O’Neal defended the singer, saying that she blessed her performance, didn’t fall, and that people should leave it there. He also took issue with the criticism being leveled at Rihanna, saying that people need to be kinder to one another and that there’s too much negativity in the world. The former NBA star’s defense of Rihanna has won him praise on social media, with many commending him for speaking up on her behalf.
Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime performance marked a major milestone in her career, with the singer becoming the first woman to headline the show since 2016. The performance also gave fans a glimpse of what they can expect from her upcoming album, which has been in the works for some time. The album, which has yet to be named or given a release date, will be Rihanna’s first since Anti, which debuted in 2016 and was a commercial and critical success.
