M.I.A. and the NFL Reach Settlement Over Middle Finger Lawsuit

Remember M.I.A.‘s middle finger affair during during her cameo at Madonna’s halftime show at the 2012 Super Bowl? The NFL wasn’t too pleased and issued a $1.5 million fine in response to her gesture, claiming it was in “flagrant disregard for the values that form the cornerstone of the NFL brand and the Super Bowl.” Earlier this year, the NFL submitted an additional claim seeking $15.1 million in “restitution” for the alleged public exposure she gained as a result of the event. As The Hollywood Reporter now reports, both parties have now reached a settlement in the lawsuit. The specific terms of the settlement are to remain private, which is standard for cases settled in arbitration.

M.I.A. previously said in a statement that the middle finger was a “display of female empowerment” and a spiritual gesture to the Hindu Goddess Matangi. She also said “they’re scapegoating me into figuring out the goalposts on what is offensive in America” and that it was “a massive waste of time, a massive waste of money, it’s a massive display of powerful corporation dick-shaking. They want me on my knees and say[ing] sorry so they can slap me on my wrist.”