Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Super Bowl 2020: Beyonce and Jay-Z refuse to stand while Demi Lovato sings the national anthem

The incident has been interpreted as a show of support for Colin Kaepernick

Louis Chilton
Monday 03 February 2020 11:59 EST
Comments
Shakira and Jennifer Lopez perform at Super Bowl half-time show

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Music superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Z remained seated throughout Demi Lovato’s rendition of the US national anthem when it was performed last night at Super Bowl LIV.

Video footage of the couple’s apparent protest was captured by Super Bowl attendees and shared on Twitter, where it attracted the attention of American news outlets.

They are yet to comment on their decision.

Non-violent political protest has been a major talking point in American Football in recent years.

Much of the debate focused on former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who famously “took a knee” during the anthem to protest racial inequality and oppression.

Kaepernick’s actions kick-started a wave of protests by predominantly African-American football players, but he was controversially dropped from the team and not drafted again, despite being well-regarded as a player. Jay-Z and Beyoncé have both expressed support for Kaepernick in the past.

The Super Bowl saw the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20, with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performing at halftime.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in