Robert Kraft Defends Blocking Macklemore From Ed Sheeran Tour Over 'Deeply Offensive' Remarks

Macklemore has been dropped as an opening act from Ed Sheeran's tour after speaking about Palestine on stage. Businessman Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium where Macklemore and Sheeran were scheduled to play, was reportedly instrumental in removing the singer from Sheeran's later shows.

Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, was a support act for Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. However, he was removed from the remainder of the tour after he made a speech about Israel and said 'Free Palestine' between songs.

Macklemore Shares Post About His Removal From Ed Sheeran's Tour

Following his removal, Macklemore shared a lengthy statement explaining the situation and accusing Kraft of orchestrating it.

'Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. 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 wrote. '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.'

In response, Kraft released a statement defending his decision to remove Macklemore from the tour. He claimed Macklemore's comments were 'deeply offensive' to the Jewish community.

'Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech. Based on Macklemore's recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran's shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.'

Kraft said Macklemore's advocacy 'should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.'

Macklemore and Ed Sheeran Had 'Difficult Conversations' About His Advocacy

In his statement, Macklemore said Ed Sheeran was 'in a f*cked up position', adding that his 'typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before'.

Macklemore described Sheeran as being like a 'brother' to him and said that, 'because of that, we've had some difficult conversations this past week' that 'still end in a place of fundamental disagreement'.

'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,' Macklemore wrote. '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".'

'I didn't need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,' Macklemore said to close his statement. 'Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I've ever been on.'