Jay-Z and Beyoncé sit during national anthem at Super Bowl
Jay-Z and Beyoncé opted not to stand during the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV — and it didn’t go unnoticed.
While Demi Lovato delivered a powerful performance of the “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the couple and their daughter Blue Ivy remained in their seats at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers. The presumed protest was captured on video, including by TMZ.
Reps for Jay-Z and Beyoncé have not yet responded to Yahoo’s request for comment.
The rap mogul, real name Shawn Carter, co-produced the halftime show, which featured Jennifer Lopez and Shakira shaking it up, in partnership with his Roc Nation. That deal — in which the two companies will work together on events and social activism — was announced in August and was heavily criticized because Jay-Z had been a supporter of Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who would silently protest racism and police brutality by taking a knee during the anthem.
Just ahead of the Super Bowl, Jay-Z was asked at a media event about going against Kaepernick to make his deal with the NFL. He said he still supports Kaep and protesting in general, but, “We’ve moved past kneeling. I think it’s time to go into actionable items.” He also said “had a conversation” with Kaepernick about playing a role in the partnership, but clearly Kaepernick declined. And Jay — whose role in the deal is of a “live music entertainment strategist” — added there are no hard feelings, at least on his part, between the men, saying, “We all do different things. We all work differently for the same results. I don’t know what he’s doing and hopefully, he doesn’t knock what I’m doing.”
Kaepernick didn’t address Jay-Z’s comments or his apparent protest, but he did repost this — Jay-’s quote about moving “past kneeling” atop a headline about him sitting during the anthem — on Instagram.
And social media was full of opinions about Jay-Z and Beyoncé sitting, of course. On Twitter, they were told they “should be embarrassed for themselves” and called a “disgrace.” They were also called “anti-American spoiled brats.”
But the Carters enjoyed the game. Prior to kick-off, Blue played around on the field with her dad.
Beyoncé, who also has twins with Carter, shared photos of her look — and beyond — on Instagram.
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