Hollywood’s power couple, Beyonce and Jay-Z had recently made headlines after both had refused to stand up and honor the American flag in the singing of the national anthem for last Sunday’s Super Bowl.

However, while the rest of the world applauded the couple’s staunch advocacy for social justice, meanwhile, that same action had cost former 49er quarterback Colin Kapernick his NFL career. He had since remained unemployed.

In 2016, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kapernick also made headlines after he refused to stand during the singing of the national anthem. In a statement, Kapernick declared that “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” Kapernick then added, “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

The NFL then responded to Kapernick’s action which stated that “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony. It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.”

As Jay-Z stated his support to Kapernick “As long as real people are being hurt and marginalized and losing family members, then yes, I can take a couple rounds of negative press. No one is saying he hasn’t been done wrong. He was done wrong. I would understand if it was three months ago. But it was three years ago and someone needs to say, ‘What do we do now—because people are still dying?’”

Jay-Z had added that “We are two adult men who disagree on the tactic but are marching for the same cause.”

The problem is while Kapernick received a major backlash, Beyonce and Jay-Z seemed to receive the Hollywood royal treatment. In fact, the couple’s statement might have work for Jay-Z’s favor, as he had recently signed a deal with the NFL to help the league’s social justice initiatives.

He had benefitted from the NFL, an event that had become synonymous with American patriotism by leading the league’s entertainment offerings. In fact, Shakira who had performed in the Super Bowl’s half-time show was Jay-Z’s client for Roc Nation, an entertainment agency he had founded in 2008.

Even Beyonce’s decision was far from the stint she had made in 2013. During Barrack Obama’s inauguration, people accused Beyonce of lipsynching the national anthem. Beyonce vehemently denied this claim during the press conference for her Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans.

To prove her point, Beyonce’ asked the media to stand up, as she sang the national anthem. “… the superstar began with an unusual request of reporters: ‘Would you guys mind standing?’ And then she sang the National Anthem—live, unaccompanied, and loud. ‘Any questions?’ she asked,” the Washinton Post reported.

Even President Donald Trump had slammed the couple, “I didn’t need Beyoncé and Jay-Z. And I didn’t need little Bruce Springsteen and all of these people,” the President said after celebrities have boycotted his own presidential inauguration in 2016.