Benjamin Haggerty, known as “Macklemore” onstage, was dropped from British singer Ed Sheeran’s tour on Monday following remarks he made about Israel and Palestinians during two performances in New Jersey.
The rapper posted a lengthy statement on Instagram, saying his exit was forced by Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner and chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Macklemore and Sheeran were set to perform next week.
“I am not a victim,” Macklemore said on Instagram on Sept. 14. “The victims are the Palestinian people.”
He described an apparent phone call between Kraft and Sheeran last week, after performances on Sept. 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home to the New York Giants, when Macklemore made his statements about Israel and Palestinians.
Macklemore said that in the call, Kraft told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium at the end of this month if Macklemore was not dropped from the tour.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote on Instagram. “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.”
As of publication time, Sheeran has not made any public statements about Macklemore and could not be reached for comment. The Epoch Times attempted to reach out to the British singer’s record label, Atlantic Records, and the Ed Sheeran Foundation, an organization suppoorting music education throughout the United Kingdom.
During the performances at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore said, “Free Palestine.”
“I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them,” he said onstage.
On the second night, Macklemore appeared to attempt to balance his statements so as not to offend his “Jewish brothers and sisters.”
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you,” he said. “My message is for peace.”
Macklemore also took a brief moment to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, describing the agency as a “terrorist organization.”
Kraft confirmed the decision to cancel Macklemore’s upcoming performance in his stadium because of his recent statements and “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real,” Kraft said.
Macklemore stressed in his statement the importance of his 13-year friendship with Sheeran and his hopes that it continues, despite their disagreement over the Middle East conflict.
According to Macklemore’s statement, Sheeran had told him that the words “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag were hurtful to many people.
“[Sheeran’s] typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it had never been before,” Macklemore said. “He couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.’”
Ultimately, the rapper expressed that he feels no regret for supporting Palestinians and wanting accountability for Israeli military action in Gaza, which was in response to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel.
Macklemore said his comments, which he has been publicly stating for nearly three years, have cost him money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, and relationships.
Efforts to “silence” Macklemore only happened now, the rapper said, because he was sharing a stage with one of the most popular artists in the world.
Macklemore’s comments have garnered support from Democratic lawmakers such as Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).
“We should all be outraged that powerful people are more upset about what an artist says than the displacement, starvation, and killing of innocent Palestinian children and families,” Jayapal wrote in a Sept. 14 post on X. “This is a moment for us to come together, find our moral conscience as a nation, and end this genocide.”
In 2014, Macklemore won the Grammy for Best New Artist.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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