- The Washington Times - Sunday, February 2, 2020

Music superstars Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce remained seated Sunday during the singing of the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV.

As shown on video posted by TMZ, the power couple and their daughter Blue Ivy sat during Demi Lovato’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” although most of those around them stood.

“The Carters were sitting together a few rows back from the field, and they clearly didn’t make an effort to get up during Demi Lovato’s performance,” said TMZ. “A guy who appears to be a bodyguard of theirs was standing though, as was pretty much everyone else around them.”

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has defended his Roc Nation partnership with the NFL signed in August to help produce entertainment events after being accused of betraying former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.


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Kaepernick, a free agent, has not been signed by an NFL team since he began kneeling for the national anthem during the 2016 regular season in a protest against police brutality and social injustice.

“We are two adult men who disagree on the tactic, but are marching for the same cause,” Jay-Z told the New York Times in a Saturday interview.

In addition to entertainment events such as the Super Bowl halftime show, Jay-Z is involved in the NFL’s social-justice effort, Inspire Change.

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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