Twitter Reacts To Beyoncé And Jay-Z Sitting During National Anthem At Super Bowl 2020

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are trending on Twitter after a video surfaced of the couple remaining seated during the National Anthem at Super Bowl LIV on Sunday.

The NFL event kicked off with gospel singer Yolanda Adams singing a rendition of “America the Beautiful.” Her performance was then followed by pop star Demi Lovato singing “The Star Spangled Banner.”

During Lovato’s performance of the National Anthem, the Carters can be seen in a video from TMZ swaying side to side in their seats. Their daughter Blue Ivy can also be seen sitting next to them while appearing to record Lovato’s performance on a cell phone.

Kneeling or remaining seated during the National Anthem, specifically during athletic events, has been used as a form of protest against police brutality and racial injustices in America. The movement was initiated by former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and has been a controversial issue ever since.

As Page Six reports, Jay-Z and Roc Nation have since partnered with the NFL to improve its handle on social justice issues. The partnership has given the father of three a lot of say when it comes to the musical side of things, such as those selected for live performances at the Super Bowl. Although many viewed the rapper’s deal with the league as a betrayal to Kaepernick, whom he’s openly supported, the hip-hop icon is saying it was a necessary step to drive change.

“No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong,” Jay-Z told the New York Times. “He was done wrong. 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?’” Despite the cause, many people are still angered by the rapper and his family’s decision to remain seated on Sunday.

Meanwhile, others quickly came to their defense by pointing out their right to protest and that there were other people seated during the performance as well.

The Carters have not yet released a statement commenting on the issue.