Why Prince fans are bashing Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl halftime performance

Lorena Blas | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Sheila E: Prince hologram at Super Bowl isn't happening Sheila E. says Justin Timberlake reached out to her after she tweeted that Prince didn't want to be hologrammed and says she wants "people to know there was no hologram." (Feb. 4)

If you thought social media was going to give Justin Timberlake a pass, you were wrong.

Timberlake's Super Bowl halftime performance drew mixed reaction across the Twitterverse, but there's no denying that Prince fans weren't too happy with JT's tribute to the iconic Minneapolis musician, who died in 2016.

Timberlake showcased a number of his own hits during the set, but included a performance of Prince's I Would Die 4 U with a giant projection of the artist on a large billowing sheet behind the stage.

After Sheila E., a close Prince friend, tweeted that Timberlake assured her there would be no Prince hologram in his show, many expressed relief on social media.

Family, I spoke w/Justin 2nite and he shared heartfelt words of respect for Prince & the Purple fans. I look 4wrd 2 seeing what I’m sure is going 2 be a spectacular halftime show. There is no hologram. 🙏🏽💋 pic.twitter.com/mhVXBfBa1B — SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) February 4, 2018

Oh, he listened to Sheila. https://t.co/I9rIs6VRak — Tessa Sainz (@tessasainz) February 4, 2018

OUR QUEEN SHELIA IS GETTING THINGS DONE 😩🕊🖤 https://t.co/BGHK0GGI65 — Natalie (@Nataliealysee) February 4, 2018

But then the show actually happened and, while it wasn't a hologram, it was sort of similar. And fans didn't think the Purple One would approve.

However, the Prince estate praised the performance. “Justin Timberlake, the NFL, and the City of Minneapolis used the stadium and the city to give a beautiful hometown tribute to Prince," reads a statement released Monday by the estate's representatives. "The two pieces of footage that appeared on the screens were licensed from the Purple Rain movie and a vintage performance in Syracuse, N.Y. “

In a 1998 interview with Guitar World magazine, Prince was asked directly about the use of digital editing to "create a situation where you could jam with any artist from the past." He was not a fan.

"That's the most demonic thing imaginable," he said. "Everything is as it is, and it should be. If I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age. That whole virtual reality thing ... it really is demonic. And I am not a demon. Also, what they did with that Beatles song (Free as a Bird), manipulating John Lennon's voice to have him singing from across the grave ... that'll never happen to me. To prevent that kind of thing from happening is another reason why I want artistic control."

One Twitter user noted that "Even in death, Prince continues to be misunderstood."

The Prince tribute would’ve been cool... except Prince specifically said he didn’t want that, right? Even in death, Prince continues to be misunderstood. — Adam Best (@adamcbest) February 5, 2018

Jemele Hill, formerly of ESPN and now senior correspondent at The Undefeated, let a GIF of Prince showing disapproval speak for itself.

Meanwhile Prince is in heaven like pic.twitter.com/lcsjAufAUF — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 5, 2018

And his fans seem to know their idol well and are taking Timberlake's action as a sort of continuation of a rivalry between the two musicians.

Canadian actor Avan Jogia tweeted: "Prince didn't like JT ... JT didn't like Prince... It's well documented... why would you put his (spirit) through that."

Yo... Prince didn't like JT... JT didn't like Prince... It's well documented... why would you put his sprit through that. — Avan Jogia (@AvanJogia) February 5, 2018

Some suggested scenarios that would right the situation, including Prince taking matters into his own hands.

The only way this could turn out ok if if Prince’s mummified hand shoots down from space and chokes out JT on the 35 yard line — Ben Silverman (@ben_silverman) February 5, 2018

But the negative sentiment wasn't shared by everyone. Some in the audience gushed about Timberlake's set.

Tove Lo tweeted that the performance was "FIIIIIIRE."

@jtimberlake that was FIIIIIIRE 🙌 so many tunes!! And moves I need to learn asap #SuperBowl — Tove Lo (@ToveLo) February 5, 2018

Reese Witherspoon agreed, posting, "Wow @jtimberlake .. just wow !"

And Ellen DeGeneres gave her friend a shout-out, saying he "just killed it."