Who Is Ryan McKenna? Teen's Selfie With Justin Timberlake Goes Viral

The kid who got a selfie picture with Justin Timberlake during the halftime show at Super Bowl LII 2018 on Sunday, which went viral, was identified as Ryan McKenna, a 13-year-old from Hingham, Massachusetts.

Speaking about clicking the picture with Timberlake, McKenna, “ I just thought to myself, ‘I’ll never get this opportunity again in my whole life,” Pioneer Press reported. “I just went for it,” he added.

The report said McKenna was recording a video. He stopped recording and immediately opened the camera on his iPhone to take the picture. The picture went viral instantly.

McKenna’s father, John McKenna said, “My phone started blowing up.”

“It died, like, instantly after it happened. We had friends from all over reaching out. I couldn’t believe it,” added John.

McKenna is a resident of Hingham, Massachusetts, where he was studying at the Derby Academy in the seventh-grade. McKenna along with his family took a flight to Minnesota in order to attend the Super Bowl 2018 on Sunday and was planning to fly out Monday.

McKenna said, “It’s been so crazy.” “I don’t even know what to think. All my friends have been texting me and stuff. It’s insane,” he continued.

“My phone is almost dead. I’ve gotten so many notifications. I’ve got like 36 Snapchats, like 21 DMs, and like 150 follower requests on Instagram,” the teen added.

After his click going viral, McKenna is now scheduled to come on air on the television show, Good Morning America.

Twitter had big reaction to McKenna’s picture.

A funny incident also happened on Twitter where a sports reporter, also named Ryan McKenna, claimed he was mistaken by many for the teen who took the selfie with Timberlake.

Timberlake’s performance at Super Bowl 2018 did not escape some scathing criticisms.

According to a report by The Washington Post, Timberlake’s reference to Janet Jackson in the song “Rock Your Body” he performed, was not taken well by many.

This was the same song which Timberlake and Jackson performed in Super Bowl 2004 during which Timberlake tore off a piece of Jackson’s top which revealed her pierced nipple to thousands of people in the audience while signing the lyrics “Bet I’ll have you naked by the end of this song.”

In the 2018 Super Bowl, when Timberlake was about to sing the above lyrics, he said, “Hold up, stop!” after which he started to sing the next song as a part of a medley which he was performing.

The report questioned whether Timberlake should have made fun of the situation or not. Many on Twitter gave their opinion by using the hashtag #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay.

Timberlake was also criticized for planning to perform with a hologram of the late American music legend Prince who was revered in his hometown, Minnesota. Prince had called the use of technology as “demonic” and as Timberlake had planned to use a hologram, the decision didn’t sit well with many. However, Timberlake did not use the hologram during the show.