*There’s been a LOT of speculation as to why Jay-Z and Beyonce did not stand for the National Anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl game in Miami.
Some assumed Jay & Bey were maki g some kind of silent protest in accordance with what Colin Kaepernick did with taking a knee.
Well, would you believe it was simply a case of the Carters simply being at work.
Here’s the full story via TMZ:
Jay-Z says he and Beyonce sitting through the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl was absolutely NOT a protest of any sort … it was simply 2 moguls hard at work.
Jay was at Columbia University Tuesday and addressed the video TMZ Sports first posted Sunday … showing Jay, Bey and Blue Ivy seated as Demi Lovato belted out the National Anthem. A Columbia professor asked him if he remained seated to “convey a signal,” and Jay quickly replied, “It actually wasn’t. Sorry.”
He said Beyonce told him she was thinking what Demi must have been going through in the seconds before starting the Anthem. As Jay put it, Beyonce’s “performed at the Super Bowl before, and I haven’t.”
He said they were both laser-focused on Demi’s performance, but from a business standpoint — “We immediately jumped into artist mode.”
Jay added, “I’m really just looking at the show. The mics start, was it too low to start?” He went on to make the point he was concerned about the audio, and every aspect really, of the show … and for very good reason.
Remember, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is now producing ALL of the entertainment at Super Bowls as part of the deal Jay struck with the NFL last year. That included Demi’s Anthem, Yolanda Adams singing “America the Beautiful” … and the Halftime Show with Shakira and J Lo.
Jay said there was no need for a “silent protest” — which some thought they were doing — because we were “making the biggest loudest protest of all” by selecting such a diverse group of artists to perform at the game.
Also worth noting … the Carters attend sporting events regularly — Jay was a minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets — and we’re told they always stand for the Anthem. We found photos and video to back that up, including the 2017 NBA All-Star Game:
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