Gillette Stadium Owner Robert Kraft Had Ed Sheeran Perform 'Perfect' at His 2022 Wedding to Dana Blumberg

Macklemore has alleged that Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, gave Ed Sheeran an ultimatum to drop him from the American leg of his Loop Tour or risk losing access to Gillette Stadium and other venues.

According to the rapper, Kraft had rallied other stadium owners to give Sheeran similar warnings. Whether these amounted to ultimatums or requests remains disputed, and Macklemore's claims have not been independently verified. Kraft, in a statement, said his decision was aimed at preventing hate speech rather than silencing advocacy for Palestinians.

Sheeran at Kraft's Wedding

Sheeran was among the performers in Robert Kraft's star-studded surprise wedding to Dana Blumberg on 14 October 2022 at the Hall des Lumières in New York City. Blumberg is an ophthalmologist specialising in glaucoma.

Reports about the wedding noted that Sheeran performed multiple songs during the reception. According to Page Six, Sheeran played an acoustic number for the couple's first dance. Sheeran also reportedly did a duet with Elton John of 'Candle in the Wind.'

People, meanwhile, quoted a source who witnessed the wedding and described how guests initially thought it was a party before Kraft and Blumberg appeared in wedding attire. Meek Mill reportedly wrote a song for them, which he performed with Sheeran providing backup.

'Lovely Relationship'

When interviewed a few days later, Sheeran admitted he shared a 'lovely relationship' with Kraft, which was why he agreed to perform at the wedding. Speaking on SiriusXM's 'The Morning Mashup,' Sheeran said he first met Kraft during his first stadium gig in the US in 2013.

'I mean, he was my first stadium that I played in the US ever,' Sheeran said, referring to the Kraft-owned Gillette Stadium. 'I've always had a lovely relationship with him. He's super sweet.'

Sheeran helped make Kraft and Blumberg's wedding dance a 'Perfect' one by performing one of his most popular songs. 'Well, it was mad 'cause it was 'Perfect,' and 'Perfect' is the one that everyone always wants for their first dance, but I've never done it before,' Sheeran recalled.

'I don't really play a lot of weddings. I'm always either playing a gig on a Saturday or I'm with my family on a Saturday, but (Kraft's wedding) was on a Friday night and here we are,' Sheeran told the SiriusXM interviewers in 2022.

Silence on Macklemore Fallout

Sheeran has remained a largely politically quiet public figure. When he received backlash for giving Macklemore the stage at his shows on 4 and 5 September at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Sheeran remained silent. He also did not publicly comment as Macklemore announced he had been removed from the tour.

But many said his silence says a lot. Some critics contrasted his current silence with his public support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion in 2022.

The State of Palestine's account on X had a message for Sheeran: 'Real artists choose courage not complicity.'

Some pro-Palestinian politicians have come out in support of Macklemore. American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, one of the first two Muslim women elected to the US Congress, thanked the American rapper: 'Thank you, Macklemore, for using your platform and continuing to speak out against the genocide. None of us are free until all of us are free.'

Dearborn, Michigan Mayor Abdullah Hammoud offered his city as a venue for his performance: 'Come put on a show here. We'll make it a free concert, sponsored by the City, and help make it one of the best around.'