Macklemore on Wednesday pledged to donate the "entire $1 million" of his net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to Palestinian relief organizations, days after he was dropped from the tour over his pro-Palestinian comments.
He also invited New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who said Macklemore wouldn't be welcome at Gillette Stadium for the tour's scheduled performances at the end of September, to match his donation. Within hours, Kraft released a statement saying Sheeran had already asked him to match his $2 million donation to humanitarian aid in the region.
Their statements come amid a growing controversy following Macklemore's removal that has seen all of Sheeran's supporting acts quit the tour. Sheeran is set to play in Philadelphia this weekend.
Sheeran broke his silence about Macklemore's removal from the tour on Tuesday, saying it wasn't his decision but the promoter's. Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, Sheeran said.
Here's how the controversy began — and how it continues to unfold.

#million #saying

The fate of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour is suddenly uncertain after all of the British singer's remaining opening acts quit in solidarity with the rapper Macklemore, who was dropped from the remaining North American dates over pro-Palestinian comments.
Hours after Sheeran released a statement saying it was the promoter's decision to remove Macklemore from the tour and not his, the rest of his supporting acts — Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Danish pop band Lukas Graham and songwriter Finneas — as well as Sheeran's house band, Beoga, announced that they were pulling out in protest.
"Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish, wrote in a note posted to Instagram. "I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people."
The Irish artists cited their country's history of oppression in their decisions to drop out.
"I don't take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this," Rowe wrote in his own Instagram post. "But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children."

#irish #Instagram

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft told Ed Sheeran that he couldn't let Macklemore perform at Gillette Stadium over his stance on Palestine. He has now released a statement explaining why.
The new NFL season is underway, and the New England Patriots started out with a loss against the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch.
However, attention has quickly turned away from the court to start this week. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was named by artist Macklemore as someone who asked Ed Sheeran to not let him perform at the Gillette Stadium.
Now, Kraft has released a statement explaining his side of the issue.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

#Patriots #england #robert #gillette

Amid the news that Macklemore has been dropped as an opener from Ed Sheeran's North American tour, the rapper has alleged that New England owner Robert Kraft intervened to get him removed.
In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, Macklemore alleged that Kraft had called Sheeran ahead of the singer's concert at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by Kraft. In what Macklemore called a "f***ed up position" for Sheeran, Kraft allegedly barred Macklemore from performing in the stadium and had "rallied" other stadium owners to issue an "ultimatum."
"Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him," Macklemore wrote. "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues."
Macklemore opened for Sheeran on Sept. 4 and 5 at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. During his performance, Macklemore called for a "Free Palestine" in a speech before performing his song "Hind's Hall," which was written in support of pro-Palestine protests. The performance drew criticism from many, including singer P!nk, and received a significant amount of media attention.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, has been vocal about his support for Palestine in recent years, something that he said challenged Sheeran's "typical apolitical stance."

#stadium #called #told #robert

Comedian Bill Maher spent the first night of Rosh Hashanah taking aim at Macklemore and other anti-Israel celebrities, arguing that calling the war in Gaza a genocide is fueling a global rise in antisemitism.
During Friday night's episode of HBO's "Real Time," Maher first criticized members of the Democratic Party who have spoken out against Israel during the Israel-Hamas war.
"Because nowhere has this moral confusion become more obvious than in a place called Gaza," Maher said. "A little strip of land that was not part of the original Israel, but they won in a war launched against them, but then gave back, gave back as a peace gesture — did they tell you that part on TikTok, kids?"
Bill Maher Blasts Democratic Party, Says It Is Fine With Religion 'As Long As That Faith Isn't Jewish'
Bill Maher arrives for the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor gala at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on June 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

#first

Pop star Pink is under fire online for resharing an anti-Israel message and then following it up with a series of Instagram posts directed at her detractors.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, supported British musician Ed Sheeran on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in a show called Loop Tour on September 4 and 5. Donning a keffiyeh in front of an 80,000-strong audience, the rapper shouted "Free Palestine" and addressed Gaza and the occupied West Bank, saying that they are not being forgotten.
"Every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom," he added, as reported by Variety.
The rapper then performed his protest song "Hind's Hall," which featured flashes of Gaza on the stadium screens. Macklemore referenced Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, named after student demonstrators at Columbia University who renamed a campus building in her honor. The rapper then addressed Jewish concertgoers, saying that criticizing Israel and condemning their actions as genocide is not a condemnation of Jewish people and that his message is a message of peace and dignity for everyone.
American pop diva, whose legal name is Alecia Beth Moore Hart, posted a video with the message "Awful" to her Instagram Story, claiming that Jewish fans who came to see Sheeran's performance are exposed to propaganda against Israel. According to Pink, Macklemore's speech and video presentation amount to a false accusation of genocide, and people who came to the concert are entitled to "apologies and refunds."

#Instagram #macklemore

Pink faced backlash after reposting a statement from an advocacy group calling for an apology from Macklemore for advocating for Palestinians during his opening act for Ed Sheeran in New Jersey.
Pink reposted the message from the group StopAntisemitism on her Instagram stories. The message started with the word "Awful," suggesting that Jewish fans had purchased their tickets to see Sheeran but instead experienced what it referred to as anti-Israel propaganda. According to the group, the Seattle rapper had accused Israel of falsely committing a genocide, and concertgoers were owed an apology and a refund. Pink did not comment and has not yet given a reason for posting the message.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, performed for Ed Sheeran in MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 as part of his Loop Tour. Dressed in a keffiyeh, the rapper told the crowd of more than 80,000 people that he wanted to stand in the stadium and say, "Free Palestine." He mentioned that he hoped people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank knew they had not been forgotten and that every human being deserved freedom.
Macklemore then sang "Hind's Hall," a protest song he released in 2024, as images of Gaza played on the stadium screens. Moreover, the rapper spoke directly to the Jewish audience, saying that criticizing Israel was not criticizing them.
His performance led the Israeli American Council to file a petition asking Sheeran and his management to remove the rapper from other tour dates. The petition referred to his show as a concert and not a rally for activists and politics. It also claimed that Macklemore used his global platform to promote a one-sided political agenda. The petition asked whether the speech and visuals were approved before the event.

#macklemore #sheeran #petition

Taylor Swift was reportedly keeping her distance from Ed Sheeran after a political controversy followed his MetLife Stadium shows. The longtime friends remained close, but an insider claimed Swift wanted to avoid being pulled into Macklemore's Palestine message.
Macklemore, who joined Sheeran's tour as a special guest, called for "Free Palestine" during his set. He also performed "Hind's Hall" while images from Gaza appeared behind him, turning the concert into a political flashpoint.
Rob Shuter revealed on his Substack that Swift was deliberately creating some distance from Sheeran after the performance. A source told his Naughty But Nice column, "Taylor wants no part of this."
"She loves Ed, but she is incredibly careful about what becomes attached to her name," the source continued. "She isn't inheriting somebody else's political controversy because they're friends." The report did not suggest Swift had ended her friendship with Sheeran. Instead, the insider described the move as a matter of protecting her public image.
"This isn't Taylor turning against Ed," the source said. "It's Taylor protecting Taylor. She knows one text, one photograph, one comment can become an international headline."

#taylor #sheeran