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M.I.A’s Middle Finger War With NFL During Madonna's Super Bowl Performance Took 3 Years to Resolve
A conflict arose between M.I.A. and the NFL following the singer's offensive gesture at Super Bowl XLVI during Madonna's performance, and it took three years to reach a resolution.
The controversy surrounding M.I.A.'s middle finger gesture at the 2012 NFL Super Bowl, which occurred during Madonna's performance of Give Me All Your Luvin, was finally settled after a lengthy three-year period. M.I.A., a guest performer during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, was captured on camera displaying the offensive gesture and mouthing the lyrics "I don't give a sh*t" while singing the song from Madonna's album MDNA.
Following the performance, the league and broadcaster NBC promptly issued an apology for M.I.A.'s offensive gesture, which was witnessed by a staggering 167 million TV viewers. The league took immediate action by initiating arbitration proceedings against her, asserting that this incident had a detrimental effect on its reputation. The league firmly expressed that her gesture displayed a blatant disregard for the core values that define the NFL brand and the Super Bowl. The American Football League, in accordance with its commitment to maintaining a wholesome image, deemed the singer's actions as a violation of its esteemed reputation.
It took three years for M.I.A.'s middle finger case to be resolved during Madonna's performance at the Super Bowl
The singer, whose real name is Mathangi Arulpragasam, was being sued for her gesture for £900,000, a report in The Guardian stated. The source further said that the British rapper, in her defense, said, "It's cultural! In my country, it's godly. OK?" 
Additionally, the now 48-year-old claimed that the reason people wouldn't believe her justification behind the gesture is because the NFL doesn't "believe in any other culture outside of the NFL." She further asked them to "Wikipedia it. You can just say 'Matangi' and 'Mudra', and you'll see it's the middle finger."
Later in 2014, the NFL, in its arbitration, added more than $15 million against the singer. Late in the same year, it was revealed by the singer's attorney, Howard King, that the dispute was settled; however, the terms remained private, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
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