Taylor Swift Is 'Keeping Her Distance' From Ed Sheeran After Macklemore Backlash, Columnist Claims

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has reportedly chosen to keep her distance from longtime friend Ed Sheeran following intense public backlash surrounding rapper Macklemore's recent concert appearances.

The sensational claim surfaced on 7 September 2026 in celebrity columnist Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice Substack column, which cited an anonymous insider saying the Grammy-winning singer wants no part in the unfolding political controversy.

Macklemore served as a special guest opening act during Sheeran's two-night run at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4-5 September, where he performed his protest song 'Hind's Hall' alongside pro-Palestinian imagery.

While the guest set drew immediate condemnation from various advocacy groups and triggered formal removal petitions, Swift herself has remained entirely silent on the matter.

Although neither artist's representatives have verified it, the report has reignited intense media scrutiny over how high-profile musicians manage associations during politically charged cultural firestorms.

The performances drew criticism from some Jewish and pro-Israel groups. The Israeli-American Council later launched a petition urging Sheeran and tour organisers to remove Macklemore from the tour's remaining dates. The petition did not display a public signature total.

Swift has not publicly commented on Macklemore's appearance at the concerts, and there is no evidence that she attended either MetLife show. Shuter's claim therefore rests on unnamed-source reporting rather than any statement from Swift herself.

Shuter Says Swift Wants 'No Part' in the Fallout

Writing in his Naughty But Nice Substack column, Shuter quoted an unnamed source as saying, 'Taylor wants no part of this.'

The same source claimed Swift remained fond of Sheeran but wanted to avoid becoming associated with the wider political controversy. 'She loves Ed, but she is incredibly careful about what becomes attached to her name,' the source was quoted as saying.

The source also said, 'She isn't inheriting somebody else's political controversy because they're friends.'

Shuter did not claim that Swift had ended her friendship with Sheeran. Instead, his report portrayed the alleged distance as an effort to keep Swift separate from the controversy surrounding Macklemore's performances.

'This isn't Taylor turning against Ed. It's Taylor protecting Taylor,' the source was quoted as saying. 'She knows one text, one photograph, one comment can become an international headline.'

Shuter did not identify the source behind the claims, and the report provided no specific date for when the alleged distancing began. Without on-record confirmation from either singer or their representatives, the claim remains uncorroborated.

Swift and Sheeran have had a long public friendship and professional relationship. They collaborated on 'Everything Has Changed,' which appeared on Swift's 2012 album Red, and Sheeran later opened on her Red Tour. They have since worked together on other music and spoken publicly about their friendship over the years.

That history makes Shuter's claim notable, but it does not establish that the friendship has ended or that the two artists have had a confrontation.

Swift's Political History Does Not Prove the Claim

Swift has made public political endorsements before, but that history does not independently support Shuter's report.

In 2018, she endorsed Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper and said she could not support Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn. In September 2024, Swift endorsed Kamala Harris in the US presidential election.

Five days after that endorsement, Donald Trump wrote 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!' on Truth Social. He later targeted her again in a May 2025 post questioning whether she was still 'HOT.'

In August 2026, Team Trump social media accounts also posted content referring to Swift and her music. One TikTok post referenced her 2012 album Red with the line, 'Did you know Taylor Swift wrote a whole album about the colour of the Republican Party?'

A separate Team Trump TikTok posted on 3 August showed Trump and First Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks while Swift's song 'August' played. The audio later became unavailable. Swift has not publicly said whether she personally requested its removal.

Those episodes show that Swift has been drawn into political debate before, but they do not prove she chose to distance herself from Sheeran over Macklemore's performances.

Publicly, Macklemore's appearances at Sheeran's MetLife concerts triggered backlash and a petition.

The claim that Swift subsequently created distance from Sheeran remains Shuter's attributed account, based on sources and without public confirmation from either artist. As the touring schedule continues, public fascination regarding the true status of their friendship shows no signs of abating.