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

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.