Meet Justina Miles — Rihanna’s ASL interpreter and the first-ever deaf Super Bowl performer

Whilst Rihanna returned with an explosive Super Bowl halftime performance, fans had their eyes on a new star in town, the 20-year-old nursing student and ASL specialist Justina Miles. Fans said the performer “stole the show”, with one user tweeting, “this is a Justina Miles stan account”.

Miles was first noticed when her TikTok version of Lil Kim’s ‘Crush On You’ went viral on Twitter. She is also an athlete studying nursing at Bowie State University. 

The performer was tasked with interpreting Rihanna’s highly-anticipated halftime performance for the 2023 Super Bowl, and viewers were more than impressed, especially given that Miles is the first female deaf performer to ever sign at the show. The videos of her energetic recital to songs like ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ and ‘We Found Love’ have since gone viral, as Miles is now cultivating a fanbase of her own.

Speaking about her performance, Miles told CNBC that “it’s an important moment not only for me to share this experience with the whole world, to really bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who’ve never really seen that before. I feel that is truly lifting every voice, even my voice.”

“There were three Deaf performers at the Super Bowl that we didn’t get to see. Justina Miles was the first black Deaf woman to perform American Sign Language at the Super Bowl pre-game and halftime shows. And she killed it!”, wrote one Twitter user.

“Super Bowl Halftime ASL interpreter Justina Miles was having the time of her life tonight. I love this,” added another. 

Miles also made history by becoming the first deaf woman to perform the pre-show anthem ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, which was sung by singer and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph.