Ed Sheeran has blamed the promoter of his US tour for removing rapper Macklemore after he voiced support for Palestine, saying venues threatened to withdraw future shows if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Sheeran set out his account in a six-slide Instagram post on Tuesday, following criticism of Macklemore’s comments during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, made remarks including “Free Palestine” while appearing on the US Loop Tour. Sheeran said he had spent the week speaking to venues in an effort to resolve the dispute.
“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of this message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said,” Sheeran wrote. “I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge.”
Ed Sheeran says he is ‘not complicit’
Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour promoter rather than by him. He added that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine”.
“I am not complicit. I have my personal views on the devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care,” the British musician said.
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, confirmed that he had pressured Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour. Macklemore was barred from appearing at the team’s Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts later this month, Kraft said, citing what he described as a “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery”.
Kraft said the decision was not intended to diminish “the suffering of innocent Palestinians”, but argued that “advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas”.
Macklemore said Sheeran had told him that Kraft organised a boycott among other stadium owners unless he was removed from the tour. He said the pair, whom he described as close friends, had discussed the matter over the past week.
“I told him that if those words were more offensive than the tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood,” Macklemore said.
Several artists later announced that they were leaving Sheeran’s tour, including Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Irish band Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and musician Finneas. They expressed support for Macklemore and solidarity with Palestinians.
Sheeran said he did not use his “professional platform for politics” because audiences attending his concerts did not expect “a political forum”.
“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” he said. “However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”
Sheeran added that he preferred to use his fame and platform as “a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed”.
