NFL Denies It Told Eminem Not to Kneel During Super Bowl 56 Halftime Show

During the halftime show at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Eminem had social media buzzing after he took a knee during his performance.

Many praised the legendary rapper for paying homage to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. It had been rumored that the league told Eminem not to kneel during his performance, but NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said that was not the case:

Eminem was a part of a performance headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg that also featured Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and a surprise appearance by 50 Cent. It was the first time that hip-hop artists were the headliners for a Super Bowl halftime show.

The performance was widely praised on social media. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James called it the greatest halftime show he's ever seen.