Politics

Beyonce And Jay-Z Draw Criticism For Sitting Out National Anthem At The Super Bowl

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Superstar couple Beyonce and Jay Z dropped in on Sunday’s Super Bowl, but drew criticism when they chose to remain seated when the crowd stood for the national anthem.

When singer Demi Lovato took the mic, Beyonce and Jay Z stayed seated along with their daughter Blue Ivy — and critics quickly took to Twitter to voice their disappointment. (RELATED: Beyoncé Fans Blame Singer For Beto O’Rourke Loss To Ted Cruz)

Both Beyonce and Jay Z have previous ties to the Super Bowl — Beyonce headlined the halftime shows in 2013 and 2016, and Jay Z reportedly turned down a deal to perform because he said the NFL had asked him to bring other high profile guests to perform as well.

Jay Z also took some heat for comments he made in defense of his own company’s partnership with the NFL amid the national anthem protests started by former 49er Colin Kaepernick. “I think we’ve moved past kneeling. I think it’s time for action,” he said.

Kaepernick appeared to mock Jay Z in his Instagram story, questioning his motives for sitting out the anthem.

(Instagram/screenshot)

Anthem-singer Lovato, whose comeback from a near-fatal drug overdose had kept her in the headlines, drew high praise for her rendition of the “Star-Spangled Banner.”