Rapper Macklemore claimed on Monday that NFL owner Robert Kraft was responsible for his removal from Ed Sheeran's current tour. Macklemore stated that Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and has ties to Gillette Stadium, contacted Sheeran and subsequently pressured him to drop Macklemore from the tour dates.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, made these allegations in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. He asserted that Sheeran informed him of Kraft's intervention and that Kraft had also reportedly rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum: if Macklemore remained on the tour, Sheeran would be barred from performing at their venues.
The controversy began last week when Macklemore, 43, made pro-Palestinian statements and wore a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress, during his opening sets for Sheeran's US tour. He publicly declared his intention to "stand up here on stages across America and say two words that are near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine."
Following these statements, Macklemore was dropped from the tour. A representative for Sheeran's promoter cited objections from stadium venues as the reason for Macklemore's exclusion from the remaining dates. Macklemore, in his statement, characterized these events as an attempt to silence critics of Israel and portrayed himself as a victim of a broader conspiracy.