Rihanna song performance at NFL was called off on Thursday as CBS eliminated the singer from the line up of the pre-game show.
This decision was made in the wake of a video showing former player Ray Rice knocking out his then fiancée (now wife) Janay Rice, according to Daily News.
Ray Rice was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after the video had surfaced. The said video was released by TMZ.
The broadcasting network's Thursday Night Football featured the debut game of Pittsburg Steeler against Baltimore Ravens.
According to a report by TMZ, CBS "didn't want to feature another celebrity who was involved in a high-profile domestic violence incident".
Daily News reported that according to NFL officials, CBS dropped the track "Run This Town" by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West, along with other "high energy" elements and a comedic stint.
The Rihanna song was scheduled to play over a narration by actor Don Cheadle, the media outlet added.
A report from CBS This Morning anchor Norah O' Donnell opened the pregame instead of the planned Rihanna song performance, according to Sports Illustrated.
It could be remembered that Rihanna herself was a victim of assault by her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown in 2009. The "Diamond" singer was forced to cancel her appearance at the 2009 Grammy Awards after the assault.
For the side of CBS, its sports chairman Sean McManus told the Sports Illustrated that "it's important to realize we are not overreacting to this story but it is as big a story as has faced the NFL."
McManus added: "We thought journalistically and from a tone standpoint, we needed to have the appropriate tone and coverage. A lot of the production elements we wanted in the show are being eliminated because of time or tone."
The report by Sports Illustrated also suggested NFL had no doing with the changes by CBS Sports in the pregame show lineup.
Do you think CBS was right when they canceled Rihanna song performance? Let us know your thoughts to this issue on the comments section below.
