The Federal Communications Commission has confirmed that 103 complaints were filed during Super Bowl LVII, with nearly all of them stemming from Rihanna’s halftime performance.
According to records obtained by TMZ, the complaints were mainly due to what some thought appeared to be “pornography” with “overtly sexual dancing” and movements that “were patently offensive and completely inappropriate for children.”
One viewer from Ohio wrote that”this year the halftime show was so indecent I had to turn off the TV because of the pornographic content” while another complainant in Florida wrote, “She spread her a*s cheek at the crack. She rubbed her pants where her labia were three times.”
To date, the Bajan megastar’s performance has been viewed 90 million times, more views than the actual game itself. And while some have complained about the show, others raved about how well she performed.
“Two weeks later and I’m still watching. This performance was one for the ages,” one YouTube commenter wrote.
“She’s so cool performing while carrying a baby isn’t easy but she’s doing amazingly,” wrote another.
Even celebrities chimed in, including Los Angeles Lakers athlete Lebron James who tweeted during the performance “Rih got so many killer tracks!!!!”
Rihanna, who recently gave birth to a beautiful boy last May, said during the NFL’s halftime show press conference she was unsure if she wanted to confirm performing at the Super Bowl so soon after giving birth to her first child, but said that being a mother was her biggest inspiration to get back on stage.
“I was like, ‘You sure? I’m three months postpartum,” she said. “Should I be making major decisions like this right now? I might regret this.’”
“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world — you can do anything,” she continued. “And the Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was … there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. It’s important for my son to see that.”
She also noted that selecting the songs to perform was a bit of a test. The Grammy winner and Forbes list earner had 13 minutes to perform selected songs she has recorded throughout her musical career spanning 18 years.
“The setlist was the biggest challenge. That was the hardest part — deciding how to maximize 13 minutes, but also celebrate. That’s what the show’s going to be — it’s going to be a celebration of my catalog in the best way,” she said. “I think we did a pretty good job at narrowing it down.”
