Super Bowl performer arrested after disrupting halftime show with 'Free Gaza' flag

Jami Ganz, New York Daily News on Jun 27, 2025

Published in Football

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A New Orleans man who allegedly did an unauthorized demonstration during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl has been arrested in the Big Easy, weeks after he was allegedly shot by former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, 41, a hired halftime performer, turned himself in to Louisiana State Police on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to a police news release.

An investigation into the Super Bowl incident found that while Nantambu was permitted to be on the field during the performance, he “deviated from his assigned role, retrieved a Sudanese flag bearing the message “Sudan and Free Gaza,” and disrupted the halftime show by running across the field with the flag.”

Security and law enforcement personnel ran after Nantambu, and he refused to comply with their commands to stop, police said. He now faces charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly.

In addition to the ongoing criminal case, Nantambu has also been banned from attending any NFL games or events, the league confirmed on Thursday.

“We commend the Louisiana State Police for its diligence and professionalism in this matter,” the NFL said in a statement. “We take any attempt to disrupt any part of an NFL game, including the halftime show, very seriously and are pleased this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

In a separate case, Nantambu is listed as the victim of a May 17 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event in Miami. According to Miami’s CBS affiliate, a bullet grazed Nantambu’s neck when Antonio Brown, who was attending the event, allegedly grabbed a handgun from a security worker and fired two shots at Nantambu.

The 36-year-old star athlete, best known for his decade-plus run with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is facing an attempted murder charge.