Many celebrities in attendance at Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles could be seen in the stands not wearing any masks at the indoor stadium, despite California still retaining its indoor mask mandate until later this week.
As reported by Fox News, some of the maskless celebrities included Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, LeBron James, Jennifer Lopez, Charlize Theron, and Jay-Z. All could be seen without masks even when they weren’t eating or drinking, in violation of the state’s mask mandate that is set to expire on February 15th.
Backlash soon followed on social media, with radio host Clay Travis tweeting a video of the maskless celebrities, saying “Here’s the video of every celebrity without a mask during the Super Bowl. But every kid in California will have to be wearing them tomorrow in school.”
Further criticism arose when it was pointed out that, even as many celebrities in attendance did not have to wear masks, members of the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra were still forced to wear masks during the event.
California is one of many states that has recently announced a sudden reversal of mask mandates, including the lifting of the indoor mask mandate. However, the indoor school mask mandate will remain in effect for the indefinite future. State health officials claimed that they will be working “with education, public health and community leaders to update masking requirements at schools to adapt to changing conditions and ensure the safety of kids, teachers, and staff.”