NFL Denies Trying To Stop Eminem From Kneeling During Super Bowl Halftime Show

During last night's halftime Super Bowl performance Eminem could be seen taking a knee in an apparent nod to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

And now, the National Footbal League (NFL) has cleared up any reports that it tried to stop the rapper from the gesture of solidarity.

At the end of his performance of 'Lose Yourself', the 49-year-old kneeled - which was done by ex-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who was protesting police brutality during the 2016 season.

The move caused controversy with former US president Donald Trump complaining about the stance. This meant there were questions asked whether the NFL knew Eminem was going to take a knee.

That has now been cleared up with NFL spokesperson, Brian McCarthy, who explained: "We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that."

Eminem, real name Marshall Mathers, joined his hip hop mentor Dr Dre and a host of other fellow artists including Snoop Dogg, Mary J Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent for the show.

Stood on top of a white community housing set, he was surrounded by crowds of jumping dancers as he performed the song from the semi-autobiographical film 8 Mile, in which he stars.

Performed inside the 70,000 capacity SoFi stadium in Los Angeles the halftime show contained themes of nostalgia and Californian pride.

The Super Bowl, one of the biggest cultural events in the US, featured the usual Hollywood star power, with blockbuster film trailers and celebrity-filled adverts appearing during the many commercial breaks.

A 30-second slot at this year’s Super Bowl reportedly costs about 7 million dollars (£5 million).

This year’s offering saw Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd team up for a humorous crisps advert, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek become Greek Gods to sell BMWs, and original cast members of the Sopranos recreate their famous opening credits for Chevrolet.

Mike Myers also reprised his role as dastardly comic villain Dr Evil for an Austin Powers themed sketch to promote electric vehicles.

The Super Bowl was opened by actor Dwayne Johnson, who channelled his former pro-wrestler persona The Rock to welcome the world to the game.