Ed Sheeran Cousin Feud Began in 2024 With a Warner Music Legal Threat Over 'Raise Em Up' Cover Art

Ed Sheeran's cousin Jethro Sheeran says their public feud began in 2024 over a piece of cover art. Warner Music, the singer's label, demanded that he remove Ed's face and name from the artwork for 'Raise Em Up'. Ed and Jethro recorded that track in 2010.

Jethro took the picture down as the label asked. He brought up the dispute again this month in a Facebook post calling Ed a 'coward' over the rapper Macklemore's exit. That timing matters to fans following the tour row, because the dispute between the cousins dates to a 2024 artwork row.

How the Artwork Row Began in 2024

Jethro Sheeran, 44, who records as Alonestar, had released 21 remixes of the 2010 song on Spotify. Those sleeves carried the singer's picture and credit. A wider audience heard the track when the film All Stars used it in 2013. Once the request arrived, Jethro changed the sleeves on Spotify, and he later accused Ed of pulling their joint songs from streaming services. His own credits include work with Snoop Dogg and modelling for Calvin Klein.

The demand came as a shock, Jethro told The Sun. 'I was super disappointed in him,' he said, adding that his lawyers were surprised by the demand. On Facebook he branded Ed a 'silver spoon weirdo', claiming the singer had ordered the move. Warner Music gave no public reason for the demand. In December 2024, Jethro told The Sunday Gleaner there was no feud, and he dismissed one newspaper's account as tabloid junk.

What Jethro Sheeran Said This Month

After the promoter's announcement, Jethro posted about Ed on Facebook. 'I'm ashamed of my cousin Ed,' he wrote, telling followers that fans could now see through the singer. He added that his low opinion of Ed came from his own experience. As boys, the pair wrote songs together during school breaks, Jethro recalled, before the bond soured once Ed became famous. Those are Jethro's own words, and no record backs them up.

Jethro also rejected Ed's account of Macklemore's exit. Jethro said Ed dropped the rapper himself and called Ed a coward. Sheeran said the promoter and venues, not him, made the decision on 15 September. Messina Touring Group announced the exit on 14 September, after two MetLife Stadium shows. The promoter said venues would not host dates with the rapper on the bill. Neither Ed nor his label has answered the new claims.

What the Row Means for the Tour

Ed is still playing the remaining US dates of the Loop Tour without Macklemore. Macklemore was removed from the remaining dates after venues told the promoter they would not allow him to perform. There is no public evidence that Jethro had any part in the tour talks, and his posts instead revive a grievance he first aired in 2024.

Jethro has said little about making peace with Ed this time. His December 2024 reconciliation was followed by the new public dispute in September 2026. If Ed and Warner Music stay quiet, the current dispute could remain separate from the 2024 legal threat over the artwork.