Beyonce and Jay Z, attending the Super Bowl with their child Blue Ivy, both sat during Demi Lovato’s performance of the National Anthem during the opening moments of Super Bowl LIV.
Video uploaded by the Demi Lovato News Media Twitter account seems to confirm reports that the American music stars did not stand for the National Anthem, seemingly in an homage to former football player Colin Kaepernick, who led to a series of boycotts and national controversy when he knelt for the anthem.
“Beyonce and Jay Z watching Demi perform the National Anthem at the #SuperBowl,” wrote the account.
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
The family was seen arriving at the stadium hours earlier with security.
“Beyonce and Jay Z have just arrived at the Hard Rock Stadium,” wrote Moe Samir on Twitter.
Beyoncé and Jay Z have just arrived at the Hard Rock Stadium #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/19AytDhSrl
— Moe Samir | Pop Culture & Music Expert (@TheMoeSamir) February 2, 2020
No strangers to political activism, Jay Z and Beyonce famously performed concerts for failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In the aftermath of Kaepernick’s infamous protest, sports brands have continued to signal their virtue. Late last year, after pulling a Betsy Ross flag design from their collection, Nike released a new line of shoes commemorating the kneeling protest.
Nike released a new shoe celebrating Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest only six months after pulling its Betsy Ross line of tennis shoes due to the former football player’s outrage.
The athletic shoe brand sold out of its new Nike Air Force 1 line, which features a message commemorating the date Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem.
On the sole of each right shoe, the date “08 14 16” is emblazoned, marking the date Kaepernick began to kneel while the anthem was played.
CNN reports Nike confirmed the placement of the date, and its significance, to the cable news network.
This comes after Kaepernick successfully influenced the shoe brand to dump its popular Betsy Ross shoes earlier in 2019.
Super Bowl LIV takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
