Did NFL tell Eminem not to kneel during halftime show? Here’s what the league said

Here’s what the league said about that Eminem kneel during the halftime show and whether or not the rapper broke any rules.

Not only was the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday perhaps the best we’ve ever seen, but it also came with a hefty serving of controversy.

Unsurprisingly, Eminem was at the center of it.

The Grammy-winning rapper has never been afraid to go against the grain or take a stand, which is exactly what he appeared to do during the Super Bowl halftime show.

A report from Puck, which was published ahead of the Super Bowl halftime show, claimed that there was some disagreement between the NFL and Eminem when it came to forms of protest that were allowed during his set. Specifically, it seems as though the Oscar-winning rapper was told not to kneel during his performance.

That’s exactly what he did, though.

Did Eminem kneel break any NFL rules about the halftime show?

It wasn’t subtle what Eminem was doing, but the question is whether or not he actually defied the NFL’s wishes or if this is a controversy that has been cooked up out of nothing.

According to Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post, the league apparently did not tell Eminem — or any of the halftime performers — that they couldn’t take a knee during the show.

"The rumors were shot down as false before the broadcast by NFL reps, who told The Post that players have been taking knees since 2016 without sanctions, so musical talent wouldn’t be held to a different standard."

SI.com’s Albert Breer also confirmed that there was no rules broken, per the NFL’s spokesperson Brian McCarthy.

“Report was erroneous,” McCarthy told Breer. “We watched all elements of the show during numerous rehearsals this week.”