Cardi B has thrown plans for the controversial Super Bowl halftime show into further disarray by refusing to perform with Maroon 5.
The Bronx breakout star, who features on Maroon 5’s recent No. 1 hit “Girls Like You,” has been repeatedly invited to join the band during its halftime performance on Feb. 3.
However, a source close to the negotiations said, “Cardi B is standing tough and holding out. She doesn’t want to do it unless they roll out the red carpet for her.”
The source claimed that the diva rapper had demanded a staggering fee of up to $1 million, plus a solo spot in the epic halftime show to make it worth her while.
Artists are not paid for the halftime show, but are given a “gift in kind” by the NFL to cover expenses such as production, transport and wardrobe.
Other sources close to Cardi insist she means to give a manicured middle finger to the NFL in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who started the #TakeAKnee movement to protest racial injustice.
The Grammy-nominated artist — who was spotted with her ex Offset in Puerto Rico on Friday — had said earlier this year that if the NFL asked her to perform, she would only do so “when they hire Colin Kaepernick back.”
Meanwhile, rapper Travis Scott has been hit with a backlash after agreeing to perform with Adam Levine and the band at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, with Jay-Z said to be trying to talk Scott out of it.
Other artists, including Rihanna, have boycotted the NFL over its treatment of players who kneel during the national anthem.
A rep for Cardi B told Page Six, “The rumor circulating that she wants a million dollars and she wants her own set is false. There was never a firm offer to begin with for a performance. There [were] talks about it, but she was not particularly interested in participating because of how she feels about Colin Kaepernick and the whole movement . . . But again, there was never a solid offer for her to say yes or no to regarding the Super Bowl. She is already confirmed to do a set with Bruno Mars that weekend.”