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His divisive protest quickly caught fire in 2016 and had hundreds of other players doing the same. Reactions from NFL team owners, players and fans were mixed, as some felt like it was a dig at U.S. vets, while others felt it was a peaceful way to bring Kaepernick's message to light.

Maroon 5 and Scott have tried to quell the noise from critics, with each donating $500,000 to the organizations Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Dream Corps, respectively.

This is Levine's first interview about the controversy, although he released a statement earlier this week that did not address the controversy.

\"Playing the Super Bowl has been a dream of our band for a long time,\" he said in a statement to E! News. \"We thank the NFL for the opportunity and also to them, along with Interscope Records, for making this donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters, which will have a major impact for children across the country.\"

Scott also released a statement to Billboard, which read, \"I back anyone who takes a stand for what they believe in. I know, being an artist, that it’s in my power to inspire. So before confirming the Super Bowl Halftime performance, I made sure to partner with the NFL on this important donation. I am proud to support Dream Corps and the work they do that will hopefully inspire and promote change.\"

View this post on Instagram

#M53

A post shared by Maroon 5 (@maroon5) on Jan 30, 2019 at 3:25pm PST

For its part, NFL launched the \"Inspire Change\" initiative earlier this month to support criminal justice reform, building relationships between police and the community, education and economic advancement.

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