The multi-award-winning actor appeared to brush off criticism over Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Half Time show by sharing his ‘dopest’ backstage moment
Hollywood legend Samuel L Jackson appeared to shrug off the furor surrounding his part in Kendrick Lamar’s politically-charged Super Bowl performance by posting a candid backstage photo from the event.
Sharing the snap with his 8.4 million Instagram followers, the Pulp Fiction star revealed he had ‘bumped’ into NFL icon and actor Marshawn Lynch, 38. Writing over a grinning pic of the pair, the 76-year-old wrote: “Dopest bump into evaaaah!!”
The pair’s fans seemed equally delighted at the chance encounter with thousands rushing to share their excitement. One person replied: “Brilliant, sir! You’re a Legend!! Phenomenal Mr. Samuel l Jackson!” While another user added: “Ngl this was not on my 2025 bingo card.”
However, not everyone watching was happy with Kendrick’s performance and Samuel’s cameo, with some criticising it as being “too political”. One fan wrote in response to the snap: “Super performance was the icing on the cake. I hope it make every MAGAt uncomfortable!”
While Kendrick refrained from including his most controversial lyric in his explicit Drake diss track “Not Like Us” at the Super Bowl between Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, there were plenty of other talking points.
Firstly, Samuel L Jackson came dressed in a red, white and blue suit with a top hat to introduce Kendrick, with many assuming he was a patriotic ‘Uncle Sam’, a popular symbol of the U.S. government. However, as he is normally depicted as a white man, many speculated whether his part was that of a different uncle: an Uncle Tom.
Originating from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” it refers to Black Americans who turn their backs on the Black community and culture and embrace subservience to white Americans. In 2012’s Django Unchained, Jackson famously took on an Uncle Tom-themed character as Calvin Candie’s loyal slave and friend, Stephen.
Jackson also featured in one of Lamar’s performance, saying in a voiceover he was “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto,” citing stereotypes often associated with hip-hop music.
The hyper-charged event drew ire from Trump supporters, with former Congressman Matt Gaetz and Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert happily issuing their scathing criticism on social media.
“The halftime show you just watched is clearly the regime’s response to Trump’s historic gains with black men,” Gaetz wrote on X, formerly Twitter. However, many users rushed to point out that Lamar had been booked to headline the Super Bowl months before Donald Trump was elected President for the second time.
Meanwhile, during Lamar’s performance, congresswoman Boebert, wrote: “Tell me I’m not the only one needing subtitles for this!!” Former New York Representative George Santos chimed in: “The Super Bowl Halftime show was absolute TRASH!”
Another person complained: “I will no longer be watching the Superbowl. Ever. Tired of all of the woke nonsense. The commercials used to be funny. It’s too political. Goodbye.”
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