The singer Beyonce Knowles, her husband Jay-Z, and their daughter Blue Ivy were seen remaining in their seats instead of standing during the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV, as the Hollywood Reporter reports.
The decision to remain seated as Demi Lovato sang the anthem appeared to be deliberate, as Jay-Z had previously voiced his support for the anti-American protests by Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL player who started the trend of protesting the anthem by kneeling during its rendition. Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, had also announced a partnership with the NFL to focus on “social activism.”
Jay-Z was a co-producer of this year’s halftime show, which featured Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. This year’s Super Bowl saw the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Chiefs pulling off a last-minute comeback victory for a final score of 31-20.