Rihanna’s Super Bowl ASL interpreter steals the show: ‘She ate this’
Justina Miles, who signed during Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance, stole the show. (Getty/Kevin Sabitus/Rob Carr)
Rihanna was almost upstaged at the Super Bowl by American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter Justina Miles.
From her shock pregnancy announcement to her not-so-subtle Fenty Beauty promo, everyone’s talking about Rihanna’s glorious Super Bowl performance.
Aside from Rihanna, though, there’s one key person from Sunday night’s (12 February) stellar performance who has stolen hearts: ASL performer Justina Miles.
The 20-year-old nursing student made history by becoming the first female hard-of-hearing performer at the Super Bowl as she signed Rihanna’s performance for the world.
Miles’ high-energy performance had viewers in a chokehold as she signed every song with passion and attitude, with the internet collectively declaring: she ate.
“Rihanna’s sign language interpreter deserves a raise, she was giving it her all,” one viewer wrote on Twitter.
Fox, you better pay her what you owe her.
“Justina Miles came with the energy! Yassss! I hope she signs a lot more performances moving forward. So good,” another said.
“Now I know how to ask for my money in ASL,” one person wrote, after Miles signed Rihanna’s “B***h Better Have My Money”.
Miles gained instant fans, with some demanding she take over the entire Super Bowl half-time show next year, while others said she had convinced them to learn ASL.
She also signed Sheryl Lee Ralph’s pre-show rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” becoming the first ASL performer to do so.
Super Bowl ASL interpreter wants to ’empower Black deaf people’
At a press conference last week, Justina Miles said it was important for her to bring “empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country” through her performance.
“I feel that is truly lifting every voice, even my voice,” she said.
If Miles looks familiar, you might also recognise her from eating, gobbling, leaving no crumbs etc. during her performances on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, where she signs hit songs with the same energy she delivered in Arizona on Sunday.
Rihanna fans are hailing her Super Bowl performance as one of the best half-time shows of all time, with the star performing an army of hits including “Umbrella”, “Work” and “Diamonds”.
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