Macklemore Dropped from Ed Sheeran Tour After 'Free Palestine' Comments

US rapper Macklemore has announced he has been removed from Ed Sheeran's ongoing 'The Loop' tour. The removal reportedly stems from comments Macklemore made on stage during a New Jersey concert where he expressed solidarity with Palestinians, stating "Free Palestine."

The 43-year-old artist, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, shared his perspective in a detailed Instagram post. He emphasized that neither he, Ed Sheeran, nor Pink (who reposted criticism of his comments) are victims in this situation, highlighting that true victims are the Palestinian people facing immense violence and loss.

Macklemore recounted that the decision to remove him came from Sheeran's team.

He further alleged that Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium where future tour dates were scheduled, contacted Sheeran, indicating that the shows could not proceed if Macklemore remained on the bill. Macklemore explained that Sheeran was in a difficult position, grappling with his usual apolitical stance being challenged.

Sheeran reportedly told Macklemore that the words "Free Palestine" and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to many people he had spoken with. Macklemore countered, stating that if those words were more offensive than the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian children, there was a fundamental disconnect in perspectives.

Robert Kraft later issued a statement describing Macklemore's comments as "hate speech" and cited what he called "a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery." Kraft clarified that his decision was not to diminish Palestinian suffering but to reject advocacy that comes at the expense of the Jewish community or ignores the actions of Hamas.

He concluded by agreeing that too many lives have been lost but stressed that sharing selective information advances divisiveness.

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