Macklemore forced off Ed Sheeran tour by Patriots owner over Pal

Macklemore forced off Ed Sheeran tour by Patriots owner over Palestine comments
The rapper Macklemore will no longer be an opening act on singer Ed Sheeran's stadium tour, he said in a statement Monday, claiming venue owners organized by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft barred him over pro-Palestinian comments he made onstage.In a statement, Kraft confirmed he banned Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, from performing at Gillette Stadium, the home of the Patriots and which is also owned by Kraft, citing the rapper's comments during the tour's Sept. 4 stop at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Kraft's statement also referred to what he characterized as Macklemore's "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community."During the tour's two stops at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore used a portion of his opening set to say "Free Palestine" and decry Israel's war in Gaza. The statements accompanied his protest song "Hind's Hall," which he wrote about Israeli soldiers' 2024 killing of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old girl in the Gaza Strip.He also played footage of Israeli soldiers contrasted against running Palestinian civilians and rubble, saying, "To my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you."The Seattle rapper faced blowback from media figures and fellow performers, such as the singer Pink, who said Macklemore dismissed the increased antisemitism Jews like herself have been facing since the current war in Gaza began in October 2023. She also said Macklemore had used Jewish caricatures in past performances of his hit song "Thrift Shop," while also espousing respect for all communities.In his statement on social media, Macklemore said that last week, Kraft called Sheeran with directions to either drop him or face venue cancellations. The call came after the Israeli American Council began a petition demanding that venues and tour organizers pressure Sheeran to oust Macklemore."We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium," Macklemore said. "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."Ed was in a f-ed up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. 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."Sheeran has not commented publicly on the situation. His representatives did not respond to a request for comment.Kraft has been a prominent, longtime supporter of Israel among sports figures, having formed the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 and promoting the Stand Up to Jewish Hate advocacy campaign since the Anti-Defamation League launched it in 2022."This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf," Kraft wrote. "Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas …"I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate."Kraft added that he has "tremendous" respect for Sheeran and welcomed a future conversation with Macklemore. He did not mention having any conversations with other venue owners to have Macklemore kicked off Sheeran's tour.Messina Touring Group, the U.S. promoter of Sheeran's tour, confirmed Macklemore's removal from the tour Monday afternoon in a statement to Rolling Stone and The Hollywood Reporter. Messina Group did not respond to a request for comment."We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans," the company said. "After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."Beyond the Gillette Stadium shows scheduled for Sept. 25-26, Macklemore was set to open for Sheeran at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.www.nytimes.com/athl etic/7595049/2026/09 /14/macklemore-rober t-kraft-ed-shee