The NFL said Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu would be banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events after he revealed a flag bearing the words “Sudan” and “Gaza” during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show. Nantambu was a member of the show’s field cast; the available accounts do not establish that he was one of Lamar’s regular backup dancers. The NFL and show producer Roc Nation said the display was not planned or rehearsed.
What happened during the halftime show?
On February 9, 2025, during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Nantambu was among the field-cast performers in Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. The NFL described the field cast as a 400-member group. During the performance, Nantambu revealed a flag combining Sudanese and Palestinian elements and bearing the words “Sudan” and “Gaza.” The Associated Press reported that he stood on a car used as a show prop, then ran across the field and was detained. The show continued without interruption. The Associated Press reported on the incident and NFL response.
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Why did the NFL issue a lifetime ban?
The NFL said the performer hid the flag and that production personnel did not know his intent. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said: “The individual will (be) banned for life from all NFL stadiums and events.” Roc Nation, which produced the halftime show, said the act “was neither planned nor part of the production and was never in any rehearsal.” The Associated Press quoted the NFL and Roc Nation.
The ban is an NFL access decision: it bars Nantambu from NFL stadiums and events. It is not a criminal sentence, and the reported decision does not say that he was barred from working with Kendrick Lamar.
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Was he a Kendrick Lamar backup dancer?
Accounts describe Nantambu as a member of the halftime show’s field cast, not necessarily as a member of Lamar’s regular backup-dancer team. The distinction matters: he had permission to be on the field as an extra performer, but the Associated Press report on the later charges said he was not authorized to demonstrate as he did. The AP report published by NFL.com described his field-cast authorization.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened in the criminal case?
The legal case developed separately from the NFL’s venue ban. The reported timeline is:
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- February 10, 2025: New Orleans police said Nantambu would not face charges. The Associated Press reported the initial police position.
- June 2025: Louisiana State Police charged him with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly. The AP report published by NFL.com covered the charges.
- May 2026: Chief Judge Juana Marine-Lombard found him guilty only of misdemeanor resisting an officer. The Associated Press reported that a sentencing hearing was scheduled for June 1, 2026. The reviewed May 2026 coverage does not establish what sentence, if any, was imposed at that hearing. The Associated Press reported the conviction and scheduled hearing.
That conviction should not be confused with the NFL ban: one is a court outcome, the other is a restriction on access to NFL venues and events.
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