This year’s famous Super Bowl half-time show needs to be more “family friendly”, a group of critics has said – following what they describe as “vulgar” past performances by Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna, and the infamous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction”.
Republican politicians and campaigners in Louisiana have written a letter to organisers raising “serious concerns” ahead of this year’s Super Bowl, which is due to take place at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in February.
Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline the half-time show.
In a letter signed by 17 Republican senators and representatives for Louisiana, as well as 15 pro-family organisations, critics called out Lopez‘s performance alongside Shakira in Florida in 2020, saying the star “wore little clothing and was groped by male and female dancers on stage”, and also “made sexually suggestive gestures and performed on a stripper pole”.
Image: Jennifer Lopez performed with Shakira in 2020. Pic: AP
Criticising Rihanna‘s performance at the 2023 half-time show in Arizona – when the star revealed she was pregnant with her second child – they said she was shown “groping herself” while singing lyrics “that were so offensive that few Louisiana adults could read those lyrics before an audience without shame”.
The letter continued: “We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of those states where those Super Bowls were held but, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of Louisiana parents.”
Image: Rihanna headlined in 2023 – revealing her baby bump. Pic: AP/Charlie Riedel
‘It would have violated obscenity law’
Jackson‘s performance with Justin Timberlake in Texas in 2004, during which he exposed one of her breasts, was also highlighted.
“Had that 2004 performance taken place in Louisiana and been proven to be intentional, it would have violated Louisiana’s obscenity law,” the letter said.
CBS, which aired that year’s Super Bowl, was fined $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission over the incident – but this was later overturned.
Image: Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s performance caused outrage. Pic: AP
In 2021, following the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary, which included details of Timberlake’s relationship with the star and their break-up, conversation around his Super Bowl performance with Jackson was also reignited.
At the time of the incident, Jackson bore the brunt of the criticism, while Timberlake’s solo career flourished. In 2021, Timberlake issued an apology, saying: “I specifically want to apologise to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed.”
The Republicans’ letter did not mention Timberlake but said Jackson’s “exposed bare breast was excused by one of her fellow performers as a ‘wardrobe malfunction’.”
Super Bowl half-time performances have become “increasingly vile”, it continued, and therefore it could be “reasonably anticipated that the half-time performance this year in New Orleans will be inappropriate for children to watch”.
Sky News has contacted the celebrities for a response to the criticism.
Senator Valarie Hodges, who signed the letter and shared details on X, said: “My hope is that Louisiana can set an example for future hosting states of the Super Bowl in advocating for entertainment suitable for viewers of all ages without needing a content rating.”
It has also been shared by the Family Research Council. President Tony Perkins, a former Louisiana state representative who is also one of the signatories, said their complaint was “not only about protecting children, important as that is, but also upholding community standards”.
The letter is addressed to Phillip Sherman, chairman of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, and Robert Vosbein Jr, chairman of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District, which oversees the superdrome venue.
In a statement sent to Sky News, Jay Cicero, president and chief executive of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, said: “We respect and value the comments of our legislators, who play a critical role in our ability to secure large events providing an economic boost to our city and state.
“We have shared the letter with the NFL and we are all in agreement that this year’s half-time show will be a family-friendly event befitting New Orleans’ storied history hosting Super Bowls.”
Mr Vosbein told the Louisiana Illuminator news outlet it was “unfortunate” Ms Hodges had waited until less than a few weeks before the event to share her concerns.
Sky News has contacted both organisations for comment.
Police will take no further action over alleged chants at a Bob Vylan concert in London.
Met Police had launched an investigation after allegations the singer, real name Pascal Robinson-Foster, was heard in footage saying “death to the IDF (Israel Defence League)”.
The footage was filmed at a performance supporting Iggy Pop, 78, at Alexandra Palace in May.
In a video, Mr Robinson-Foster is also alleged to have said: “Death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel.”
But the Met Police confirmed they are closing the investigation following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Image: The Glastonbury performance led to a police investigation. Pic: PA
‘No further action will be taken’
A spokesperson for the force said: “On Wednesday 2 July, officers became aware of footage that appeared to have been filmed at Alexandra Palace in London on 28 May. An investigation was launched into the language used in the footage.
“Early investigative advice was sought from the Crown Prosecution Service who considered a number of potential offences but determined that, based on the information and material available, there would likely be insufficient evidence to take the case forward.
“As a result, officers have decided that no further action will be taken. We recognise the concerns that the footage caused, particularly among many in London’s Jewish communities.
“It emerged during a period where we have seen a concerning rise in antisemitic hate crime.
“We continue to work closely with community representatives to understand those concerns, to ensure the safety and security of Jewish Londoners and to provide reassurance moving forward.”
It followed footage of Mr Robinson-Foster allegedly leading a chant of “death, death to the IDF” during a BBC live-streamed performance at Glastonbury Festival, in June earlier this year, leading to an investigation from Avon and Somerset Police.
A man, in his 30s, understood to be Mr Robinson-Foster, had voluntarily attended an interview on Monday in relation to the band’s Glastonbury performance, the force said.
Police added the individual was not arrested but an investigation is ongoing.
After the Glastonbury appearance, the group were dropped from a number of festivals.
Actor and director Samantha Morton has said councils who fail to prevent the deaths of children in care should face manslaughter charges.
Warning: This story contains references to suicide.
In a powerful interview with Sky News, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning actor and director, who grew up in care, said Britain’s care system needs to be “completely rethought”.
It comes after a Sky News documentary, A Girl Called Nonita, told the story of 18-year-old Nonita Grabovskyte, who died in the care of the state following a catalogue of failures by those responsible for her care.
Nonita took her own life on railway tracks in December 2023, just two weeks after her birthday. She had previously told doctors and social workers that she intended to kill herself as soon as she turned 18. But nothing was done to prevent her death.
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44:43
Unseen: A girl called Nonita
“I was a child of the state, just like Nonita,” Morton told Sky News.
“I was put in care at birth until I got the letter to say I was no longer the council’s responsibility. I was kicked out at 16 and put into a homeless hostel.”
After spells of homelessness, she found a local TV actors’ workshop and managed to secure roles that would eventually lead to Hollywood.
But she says she has never forgotten her childhood, which saw her in and out of children’s homes and foster families.
“The lack of care historically is shocking,” she said. “But the lack of care today is worse. Back then, it felt like there was at least some comeuppance.
“The system now is not fit for purpose. It needs root and branch reform. It needs to be completely rethought.”
The young people who grew up in care who have died in England since 2020
2020: 40
2021: 30
2022: 60
2023: 90
2024: 80
Source: Department for Education
The data shows a sharp rise in deaths among care leavers – young adults who have aged out of the care system and are expected to live independently, often with little or no support.
The Department for Education only began collecting data for care leavers aged 22 to 25 in 2023, meaning the true scale of deaths over the past decade is likely to be far higher.
Morton says councils should be held more accountable for the deaths of children in their care, especially if local authority failings contributed to deaths.
Image: Pic: Invision/AP
‘State manslaughter’
“A failure to care has massive consequences,” she told Sky News. “And the consequences are that people like Nonita die. I believe that that is a kind of state manslaughter.
“And individuals who fail to do their job properly should be in a dock.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told Sky News that deaths of care-experienced young people should “shame us all”.
All deaths of children in the care of the state must be reported to the government via the Child Safeguarding Incident Notification Scheme.
But there are doubts as to whether all deaths are being reported.
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Phillipson: ‘Nonita was failed on so many levels’
‘Shames us as a country’
Ms Phillipson told Sky News she has asked officials to urgently review the process to check for underreporting.
“I’m concerned about serious incident notifications – about making sure we’re receiving all notifications of such incidents taking place,” she said.
“Because it’s only if we know what’s happening, if we fully understand what’s going on in the lives of children, that we as a government, as a country, can provide the support they need.”
Ms Phillipson added: “It shames us all as a country that we so badly fail many of the most vulnerable children who’ve experienced such appalling trauma and abuse in their early lives.
“I read every single notification personally – and it always stays with you. Every case is a child or young person who deserved better.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help, and support is available. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123 anytime day or night. You can also email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find support online.
Sally Kirkland, a former model and Oscar nominated actress known for her roles in films such as Anna, The Sting and JFK has died aged 84.
Her representative, Michael Greene, said Kirkland died on Tuesday morning at a Palm Springs hospice.
Kirkland had been unwell and struggling to cover medical bills after she fractured six bones last year and developed two life-threatening infections. She had also been diagnosed with dementia.
A GoFundMePage that was set up by her friends to help pay for her ongoing treatment had raised over £45,000 ($60,000).
Image: Michael Douglas, left, and Sally Kirkland appear with their best actor Golden Globes for Wall Street and Anna. Pic: AP
Her biggest role was in the 1987 film Anna, as a fading Czech movie star remaking her life in the United States and mentoring a younger actor.
Kirkland won a Golden Globe and earned an Oscar nomination alongside Cher in Moonstruck, Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, Holly Hunter in Broadcast News and Meryl Streep in Ironweed.
Born in New York City, Kirkland was encouraged to start modelling at age five by her mother, who was a fashion editor at Vogue and Life magazines. Kirkland went on to graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1961.
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An early breakout for the star was appearing in Andy Warhol’s 13 Most Beautiful Women in 1964.
Image: Sally Kirkland in 2015. Pic: Reuters
Some of her earliest roles were playing Shakespeare parts, including Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Miranda in an off-Broadway production of The Tempest.
She once told the Los Angeles Times: “I don’t think any actor can really call him or herself an actor unless he or she puts in time with Shakespeare.”
Kirkland was also infamous for her nude scenes, often disrobing in films and for social causes. In particular, Kirkland volunteered and advocated for people with AIDS, the homeless and prisoners.