Rumored Super Bowl 2018 Halftime Performers Remain Quiet About NFL Protests

They've been mentioned as potential performers for Super Bowl 2018, either through rumors of their involvement or through fans wishing they'd be there. But as the controversy continues over protests during the national anthem at National Football League games, the celebrities who could be halftime show acts for one of the biggest TV audiences of the year have kept quiet on the controversy.

Many of the potential halftime entertainers avoid political commentary in general — and as the debate simmers, keeping quiet may be the best way to avoid alienating any segment of the NFL community and the national audience.

The controversy began last week, when President Donald Trump criticized prior protests by NFL players, most notably Colin Kaepernick, where they took a knee during the National Anthem. At a rally in Alabama, Trump called for team owners to fire players who did so. In response, several teams in the NFL protested this during games on Sunday and Monday.

Among the teams which saw members take a knee during the anthem were the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans all also refused to take the field during the National Anthem, only coming out after it ended.

The protests have received mixed responses, with some saying NFL players were disrespecting the country and the flag and others praising them for expressing their views peacefully and in accordance with their right to freedom of speech. However, while it has been a big topic of social media conversation, the artists who have been rumored as considered to perform at the next Super Bowl halftime show have all remained silent about it. Here's a look at the artists' previous social media views on politics:

Justin Timberlake

Timberlake, who was reportedly finalizing a deal to be the halftime show performer for 2018, rarely makes active commentary on political issues, even flat out telling a TMZ reporter earlier this year to "stop it" when they asked him to comment on the Trump presidency. He did take to Instagram, along with his wife, Jessica Biel, in August 2016 to show support for then Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, but other than that, he tends to keep his social media posts to ones about his music and career, with some personal posts devoted to his friends and loved ones.

Taylor Swift

Similarly, Taylor Swift, who has long been a favorite to headline the big show, also tends to keep political views to herself on social media. The singer, who did a social media cleanse ahead of announcing her newest album, "Reputation," has only made an outright political statement by sharing a photo on election day which urged her fans to get out and vote, but she never stated who for or endorsed either candidate in last year's election. That silence led to speculation she was actually a secret Trump supporter, though she hasn't confirmed or denied the story — and likely never will. Because she often keeps quiet, it isn't hard to believe she hasn't weighed in on the recent NFL controversy.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z also often keeps mum about his political views on social media, and rarely takes to his networks at all for that matter. Though he was always a clear Barack Obama, and later Hillary Clinton, supporter, he rarely ever takes to social media for anything, so fans expecting him to comment on the latest political controversy there shouldn't hold their breath.

Britney Spears

Britney Spears also never publicly endorsed a candidate in the 2016 election and also doesn't often comment on political issues either on social media, though she does use the platform to share her thoughts and prayers on other events, sending love recently to both victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and the massive earthquake in Mexico. Otherwise, her social media actively details her personal life, often featuring photos of her sons, Sean and Jayden.

Adam Lambert and Queen

Adam Lambert and Queen, who are currently touring together and have also won fan polls as favorites to headline the 2018 halftime show, also haven't been vocal about the current controversy. They have tended recently to keep political views off social media, though Lambert did take to Twitter to share his thoughts about Trump while he was a candidate last year. It was the only time he addressed anything political.

BTS

It would seem unlikely that the members of BTS would address the controversy because they are a South Korean band. While they have not addressed the current issue on social media, the group has been unafraid to tackle political and social issues in their music before. However, while they do tackle these issues in their songs, they are still often through a South Korean focus.