The 'furore' over MIA's middle finger continues as The Sun report a 'source' as saying that Madonna is "livid" at the attention stealing rapper.
The source claims "MIA did nothing similar in rehearsals. Nobody knew she was going to pull this stunt".
This follows the news that MIA could be personally liable for any FCC imposed sanction on either the NFL or broadcaster NBC. TMZ report that performers "agreed to indemnify the NFL for any money it might be forced to pay if the FCC comes down on the Peacock Network". Janet Jackson's nipple was given a bill of $550,000 for its appearance in 2004, though the fine was later dismissed on appeal.
Meanwhile lobby group The Parents Television Council has said in a statement: "NBC fumbled and the NFL lied because a performer known as MIA felt it necessary to flip off millions of families." They described the gesture as "the selfish acts of a desperate performer".
They went on to criticise the half time show as a "lineup full of performers who have based their careers on shock, profanity and titillation. Instead of preventing indecent material, [NBC and NFL] enabled it".
They added that MIA's gesture was "effectively telling an audience filled with children, ‘F–you.’"