Beyonce & Jay-Z Sit During National Anthem at Super Bowl - WATCH
Couple remains seated amid clashes over Colin Kaepernick kneeling saga
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Popstar Beyoncé and her rap mogul husband Jay-Z remained seated as Demi Lovato took to the field to sing the national anthem during Sunday evening's Super Bowl.
The couple was spotted with their daughter, Blue Ivy, and filmed sitting down during the rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
A video of the incident has quickly gone viral sparking outrage from patriotic Americans.
The superstar family seemingly refused to stand as Demi Lovato sang the national anthem ahead of kick-off between San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs in Miami on Sunday.
While others around her were on their feet, Beyonce could be seen in her chair bopping to Lovato's performance, instead of standing.
It is not yet clear why the couple decided to remain in their seats, especially since Jay-Z signed his lucrative partnership with the NFL triggering clashes over the Colin Kaepernick kneeling saga.
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Jay-Z recently entered into a partnership with the NFL, in which he is to advise and help run the league’s social justice initiatives, in addition to taking a leading role in several of the NFL’s entertainment offerings, according to Breitbart.
His business relationship with the league is not without controversy, however.
Jay-Z drew intense criticism from fans and media alike due to the fact that former 49er and anthem protester Colin Kaepernick is still unemployed.
Jay-Z was prominent among several celebrity activists, in calling for other entertainers to avoid performing at any NFL events while Kaepernick remained unemployed.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, the Roc Nation founder said that while Kaepernick was wronged, it was time to move the ball forward on the social justice march.
“No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong. He was done wrong,” the rapper said.
“I would understand if it was three months ago.
"But it was three years ago, and someone needs to say, ‘What do we do now — because people are still dying?’”
Jay-Z added, “We are two adult men who disagree on the tactic but are marching for the same cause.”
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Representatives for Jay-Z and Beyoncé have yet to comment on their apparent sitting stunt.
Jay-Z, a co-producer of the halftime show featuring Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, announced his Roc Nation company had entered a partnership with the NFL for events and social activism last year.
Beyoncé and Jay Z watching Demi perform the National Anthem at the #SuperBowl in Miami, FL - February 2nd pic.twitter.com/02B3mMh2jP
— Demi Lovato News Media (@JCMD_Media) February 3, 2020
Defending himself against accusations he was betraying Colin Kaepernick's Black Lives Matter "take a knee" protest by partnering with the NFL, Jay-Z commented last August: "I think we're past kneeling."
For those supporting Kaepernick, Jay-Z's deal raised eyebrows with some seeing it as a betrayal of Kaepernick's Black Lives Matter protest.
In 2016, the football pro started kneeling during the national anthem to call attention to racial injustice and police brutality.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has not played in the NFL since becoming a free agent in 2017 and has argued he's been effectively exiled from the league.
Kaepernick appeared to let his feelings be known via an Instagram story on Sunday referencing Jay-Z's comment about moving past the kneeling.
He shared a news story about Jay-Z and Beyonce not standing and wrote: "I thought we were past kneeling though?"
