Wendy Williams had something to say about Jay-Z and Beyoncé staying seated for the national anthem at Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, which took place in Miami, Florida.
Photos and videos have circulated that show the superstar couple sitting, as Demi Lovato sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Normally, sitting for the anthem may not have caused much of a stir, but considering former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 2016, the act is now directly associated with staging a protest.
Kaepernick began kneeling to protest systematic racism in the United States against black people, as well as police brutality. That was before he opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
As of now, there’s no confirmation that Jay-Z and Beyoncé staying seated was attached to a protest they staged but many, including Kaepernick and political commentator Tomi Lahren, stuck with that narrative.
Williams is another person who spoke with certitude that Jay-Z and Beyoncé remaining seated was a protest, and she blasted them for it.
“I don’t know about you, and our country might be in a bad way, but there’s no place I rather live than America,” Williams said Monday on “The Wendy Williams Show” at the 6:31 mark of “Hot Topics”
The talk show host was also wearing one of Beyoncé’s dresses from the singer’s adidas x IVY PARK collection while she spoke.
Williams then brought up Jay-Z’s partnership with the NFL and incorrectly called him the owner of a team. But in actuality, the rapper has partnered with the league to work with its social justice initiatives and entertainment.
“Jay, you might be an NFL owner but you don’t own all of the NFL,” said Williams, starting around 7:23 in the video clip. “And Beyoncé , I love my Ivy Park, [but] you understand that all eyes were on you, you should’ve stood up … If you don’t like our country then ….”
Williams didn’t finish her sentence, but it was clear that she was telling the power couple to leave the United States if they were unhappy here.
People had all kinds of things to say after they heard Williams’ comments. One person, for example, wondered why Jay-Z and Beyoncé were criticized for not standing for the anthem when others around them also remained seated.
“How can she say everyone was standing? When there is clearly plenty of people sitting in that picture 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️,” wrote one person, who referred to a photo of Jay and B that Williams had up.
“Wendy, you talking too much about nothing, and you continue to diminish why people choose not to stand during the national anthem in the first place,” another person stated. “Look at wtf is going on in America.”
“Jay z and Beyonce dont have to stand or sing for the flag or the country. Its their right,” wrote someone else.
“Disappointed to hear Wendy say ‘if you don’t stand for the national anthem, then move’….is she not aware WHY people protest it?” a fourth person weighed in.
