Macklemore broke his silence on Monday after it was announced that he was removed from the remaining American dates of Ed Sheeran's tour following pro-Palestinian comments made during an opening performance in New Jersey.
The rapper claimed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft gave Sheeran an ultimatum to drop him from the lineup or risk venue access for the entire tour. Macklemore continued: “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.”
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed multiple venues refused to host concerts featuring Macklemore, threatening full tour cancellations.
While Macklemore stated he does not personally blame Sheeran, he noted that his outspoken political activism has cost him brand deals, sponsorships, and relationships.
“He told me that the words ‘Free Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than 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. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.’ And I get why people don’t,” Macklemore’s statement said.
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