Despite reports that the NFL tried to stop Eminem from kneeling during the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, the league says it was aware of the rapper’s intentions.

In a statement issued on Monday (Feb. 14), a spokesperson for the NFL denied that the league was unaware of or tried to stop Eminem from making the gesture during the halftime show.

“We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that,” spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in the statement per ESPN.

As reported by REVOLT, Eminem took a knee, covered his face and looked downward after performing “Lose Yourself” at the SoFi Stadium just as Dr. Dre sat at his piano to play Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad At Cha” and his own hit, “Still Dre.”

The gesture was seemingly Eminem’s way of showing support for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and as a protest against racial inequality.

On Twitter, the gesture was well-received by fans.

“Eminem’s homage to the Colin Kaepernick kneel is respected because Black Lives Still Matter!” one person wrote.

“The kneel by Eminem to honor Kaepernick is the greatest play in Super Bowl history,” another fan tweeted.

According to Puck, which first reported that the NFL tried to stop Eminem from kneeling, the gesture was one of several parts of the performance that the league was unhappy with. The outlet reports that the NFL also took issue with Snoop Dogg’s outfit and Dr. Dre’s lyrics. However, the league hasn’t responded to these allegations.

Hip hop fans shared a huge moment yesterday (Feb. 13) when Eminem, Dre, Snoop, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent performed an internet-breaking halftime show. The energetic set saw each of the rap heavywieghts perform some of their biggest hits and even included a cameo from Anderson .Paak on drums.