The National Football League have been pursuing a $1.5 million fine from British rapper M.I.A. since she gave the camera the middle finger during her 2012 Super Bowl Halftime performance, but it’s now been revealed that the NFL is seeking an extra $15.1 million in “restitution”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the original $1.5 million was allegedly for “breaching her performance contract and tarnishing its goodwill and reputation”, despite the fact that the Paper Planes performer did not get paid for the appearance, as is the NFL’s custom.
Now the League has also tacked on the additional $15.1 million, claiming it’s the amount an advertiser would pay for the amount of exposer M.I.A. received, in a move that the 38-year-old performer’s response papers say “lacks any basis in law, fact, or logic.”
And she’s not showing any signs of backing down, with the response to the claim also stating that the “continued pursuit of this proceeding is transparently an exercise by the NFL intended solely to bully and make an example of Respondents for daring to challenge NFL.”
Her attorney, Howard King, is making a case against the League that claims they not only encourage explicit behaviour during their halftime shows but actively encourage it, citing Michael Jackson‘s 1983 crotch grabbing and Prince‘s 2007 phallic guitar stroking as examples.
The papers go on to suggest that broadcaster NBC may actually be at fault. “NFL, and NBC, failed to exercise ordinary care in the conduct of the Halftime show by not activating the ‘5 second delay’ system in place for the broadcast.”
M.I.A. has previously described the lawsuit as “a massive waste of time; a massive waste of money; it’s a massive display of powerful corporation dick-shaking”.
