Ed Sheeran's Cousin Calls Him 'Selfish' Amid Macklemore Tour Controversy

Ed Sheeran's cousin, Jethro Sheeran, has publicly denounced the pop star, calling him "selfish" and "malicious" in a scathing Instagram post. The criticism comes in the wake of Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's "Loop Tour" after the rapper performed a "Free Palestine" solidarity speech.

Jethro Sheeran stated on Instagram, "Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed he’s done. Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist."

He further alleged, "He’s honestly a selfish individual with malicious, cunning ways… I’m his first blood cousin and he screwed me over, made fun of my mental health and mental health in general."

Despite Macklemore's assertion that Sheeran was pressured by stadium owners to drop him, Jethro Sheeran believes his cousin acted independently. He described Ed as "shady" and a "coward," adding, "In my opinion he’s a bad human. Just my opinion from my experiences."

Jethro claimed that he used to look out for Ed in their younger years and introduced him to music, but that the "Shape of You" singer "only cared about himself." He accused Sheeran of creating a "fake narrative" to maintain popularity and brand deals, and stated his agreement with negative public sentiment.

Macklemore was removed from the tour after delivering a pro-Palestinian message during his set at MetLife Stadium. He later released a statement detailing a "painful disagreement" with Sheeran over his "typical apolitical stance." Macklemore suggested that billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and other stadium owners collectively issued an ultimatum to Sheeran.

Sheeran, in his own statement, denied direct involvement in Macklemore's removal, asserting that the decision was made by the tour promoter. He stated, "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me."

In solidarity with Macklemore, all of Sheeran's other tour openers, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga, withdrew from the tour. Fans subsequently demanded refunds from Ticketmaster.

Macklemore announced he would donate his $1 million earnings from the tour to Palestinian aid organizations. In response, Robert Kraft pledged $2 million to humanitarian efforts in the region and expressed willingness to discuss political differences with Macklemore.