Ed Sheeran is pushing back on the narrative that he personally cut Macklemore from his tour, saying the decision belonged to the promoter and was driven by venue owners who threatened to pull Sheeran’s dates if the rapper stayed on the bill.
The dispute erupted Monday when Macklemore was released from his contract for the final eight appearances on Sheeran’s “Loop Tour,” which is scheduled to run through December. The “Thrift Shop” rapper responded on social media by criticizing Sheeran and suggesting their friendship might not survive the split.
But according to The Wrap, Sheeran is now placing responsibility elsewhere. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision. It was not mine,” Sheeran said. “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me. I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
Sheeran also said he is “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.”
He added that stadiums threatened to cancel his tour dates if Macklemore remained on the program. Sheeran said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge,” but could not move some of them — singling out Robert Kraft in particular.
The Kraft Factor
The billionaire NFL owner and former New England Patriots chief was among those objecting to Macklemore’s onstage commentary, which has focused heavily on Israel and Palestine. Kraft, who also runs a nonprofit organization that fights anti-Jewish hate, told Sheeran’s tour manager he would not permit the rapper to appear at his Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
Kraft reportedly went further, convincing the operators of the seven other venues where Macklemore was set to appear to contact Sheeran’s touring company and demand the rapper be fired. He offered to sit down with Macklemore to explain where he believes the rapper is wrong about Israel, but said he could not allow the hate Macklemore is spreading to be pushed from the stage of the stadium he owns.
A Split Among Artists
Pink weighed in by initially reposting criticism of Macklemore’s anti-Israel comments on social media. She later said that Macklemore’s rhetoric against Israel “scared me, and it scared people I love.”
Macklemore has drawn support from other artists as well, some of whom are now turning on Sheeran over the removal — or at least over his decision not to fight harder to keep the rapper on the tour.
Stella Parton, sister of Dolly Parton, wrote on X that she was sounding an alarm over what she described as “genocide” in Gaza. “We are in a dire situation when a performer is pulled from a tour for simply calling out genocide in Gaza,” she wrote.
The Irish group Kneecap, which has been vocally anti-Israel, posted a photo standing with Macklemore, captioned “FREE PALESTINE.” Other supporters listed in the coverage include singer Paloma Faith, Swedish pop star Zara Larsson, the rock band Garbage, Kehlani, and Australia’s Toni Watson.
Criticism Over Onstage Antics
Critics point to Macklemore’s stage performances, citing what they describe as antisemitic tropes. At one recent concert, he wore a giant nose and fake beard, and at the same event was seen giving a Nazi salute while dressed as a stereotypical Jewish caricature.
Sheeran’s statement marks his most direct effort yet to separate himself from the controversy, framing the decision as a business matter between Macklemore and the promoter, and as a response to pressure from venues rather than a personal judgment about the rapper’s politics. Whether that explanation satisfies either side remains to be seen, with Macklemore’s supporters already accusing Sheeran of capitulating and the rapper himself hinting at lasting damage to their relationship.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/15/ed-sheeran-distances-himself-from-decision-to-drop-macklemore-as-anti-israel-mob-attempts-to-shame-sheeran-into-canceling-tour/