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Jay-Z was recently hit with some disturbing allegations in a lawsuit that led to 50 Cent wondering if the NFL would distance itself from the man who founded the company that currently produces the Super Bowl Halftime Show. It didn’t take long for him to get an answer, as it would appear the league is unbothered by the accusations based on what Roger Goodell had to say.
In 2019, the NFL announced its plan to inject some new life into the halftime show at the Super Bowl by teaming up with Jay-Z and Roc Nation to take over the production of the high-profile spectacle.
The partnership kicked off with a bang when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez joined forces at Super Bowl LIV in Miami in 2020, and it’s continued to deliver thanks to memorable performances from The Weeknd, Rihanna, Usher, and the star-studded list of hip-hop legends who did their thing in Los Angeles in 2022.
50 Cent was a member of that last crew, and given his propensity for trolling, it came as no surprise he threw a jab in Hov’s direction when he alluded to the potential cancelation of the upcoming halftime show featuring Kendrick Lamar after Jay-Z found himself named alongside Diddy in a civil lawsuit that was filed on Sunday.
The court documents assert the 55-year-old mogul sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl with Diddy at an afterparty held in the wake of the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000, and the Brooklyn native quickly issued a statement asserting he was the victim of a “blackmail attempt” while filing a motion of his own to dismiss the case he said was filled with “idiotic claims.”
Most signs point to that marking the start of a lengthy and undoubtedly expensive legal battle, and there’s no telling how long it will take for the matter to be settled.
It also seemed fairly unlikely the NFL would sever ties with Jay-Z and Roc Nation over allegations that appear to currently hinge on the uncorroborated testimony of an unnamed accuser (especially when you consider the rapper wasn’t initially named when the lawsuit was first filed against Diddy in October), and on Wednesday, Roger Goodell confirmed the league had no plans to abandon the relationship.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, doing his press conference, is asked about Jay-Z and the allegations: “We are aware of the civil litigation and Jay Z’s strong response.”
He summed it up: “The relationship is not changing.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 11, 2024
That could obviously end up changing if new evidence comes to light, but it’s currently full speed ahead.