Ed Sheeran Says ‘I Am Not Complicit’ After Macklemore Is Removed From Tour Amid Explosive Free Palestine Row

Ed Sheeran has broken his silence after Macklemore was removed from his Loop Tour, insisting the decision was not his and declaring: “I am not complicit.”

The 35-year-old singer addressed the escalating controversy in a lengthy statement on Tuesday, September 15, after Macklemore publicly detailed the “difficult conversations” the longtime friends had held behind the scenes.

According to Sheeran, several venues warned that upcoming concerts would be pulled if Macklemore remained on the lineup following his performances in New Jersey.

Sheeran said he spent the week speaking with venues, promoters and activists in an attempt to find a compromise.

He failed.

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran insisted.

Sheeran Says He Is ‘Appalled’ By The Conflict

Opening his statement, Sheeran addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict directly.

“I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” he wrote.

“The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.”

Sheeran explained that Macklemore had asked to join the Loop Tour the previous year.

He agreed because he respected the rapper as an artist.

Sheeran also stressed that his supporting artists were permitted to choose what they performed.

“As with all my support acts, I agree that they play a setlist of their choosing,” he said.

But according to Sheeran, the situation changed after Macklemore’s New Jersey appearances.

Venues Allegedly Threatened To Pull The Shows

 

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Macklemore appeared on the Loop Tour on September 4 and used the stage to voice his support for Palestinians.

“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,’” Macklemore told the crowd.

He repeated the phrase and said he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know “that we have not forgotten about them.”

After the New Jersey concerts, Sheeran said he began hearing from venues scheduled to host upcoming dates.

They warned, according to his account, that the concerts would not proceed if Macklemore remained a support act.

“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said,” Sheeran wrote.

That left Sheeran facing a potentially enormous disruption to the remaining US tour.

‘I Spoke With The Venues At Length’

Sheeran said he didn’t simply accept the situation.

Instead, he claimed he spent days attempting to find another solution.

“I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge,” he wrote.

One of those conversations, Sheeran confirmed, was with Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Sheeran said he was also involved in talks with promoters and activists representing different perspectives.

His stated aim was to find “a mutual resolution for all.”

But according to Sheeran, the venues and promoter would not change their position.

“The venue’s and promoter’s decision was final,” he said.

‘It Was Not Mine’

Sheeran then made his position unmistakable.

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote.

He also stressed that Macklemore’s tour contract was with the promoter rather than directly with him.

Walking away from the remaining shows himself, Sheeran argued, would have created consequences for far more people than just the artists involved in the disagreement.

“I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,” he said.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group separately said it had been informed by upcoming venues that they would not permit concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup.

According to the promoter, that could have resulted in the cancellation of the tour and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.

Following discussions with stakeholders, the promoter said Macklemore would no longer perform on the remaining support dates.

Sheeran Responds To Criticism: ‘I Am Not Complicit’

Sheeran then addressed another part of the backlash — assumptions about his own beliefs.

He said he has deliberately built his concerts around “unity, joy, escapism, love” and making people from different backgrounds feel welcome.

Then came one of the strongest lines in his statement.

“I am not complicit,” Sheeran wrote.

“I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

He added that remaining publicly quiet also did not mean he wasn’t privately supporting causes.

For Sheeran, the distinction centers on how he chooses to use his professional platform.

‘Those Who Come To My Shows Do Not Expect A Political Forum’

Unlike Macklemore, Sheeran said he has consciously decided not to turn his concerts into spaces for political advocacy.

“There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics,” he explained.

“My audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.”

Sheeran nevertheless said he respected Macklemore’s determination to stand publicly behind his beliefs.

“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” he wrote.

But he argued that people can pursue the same ultimate objective through different methods.

“There is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”

Sheeran said he wanted his own platform to provide “safety and sanctuary,” while emphasizing diplomacy and maintaining communication.

“If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change,” he added.

Macklemore Says The Friends Fundamentally Disagreed

Sheeran’s statement came after Macklemore released his own account of the dispute.

The 43-year-old rapper said the two had held “some difficult conversations this past week.”

Those discussions, he stressed, were not hostile.

They were “rooted in love and respect for one another,” he said.

But they still ended “in a place of fundamental disagreement.”

Macklemore said he wasn’t attempting to attack Sheeran’s character.

However, he argued that their friendship couldn’t prevent him from publicly explaining his version of what happened.

“Our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened,” he wrote.

Macklemore Describes Alleged Stadium Ultimatum

Macklemore also described what he said Sheeran told him about a conversation with Kraft.

“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore claimed.

He went further, alleging that Kraft had contacted other stadium owners.

According to Macklemore’s account, Sheeran told him they had collectively delivered an ultimatum: keep Macklemore on the tour and the concerts would not be allowed to take place at their venues.

Sheeran confirmed speaking with Kraft and said multiple venues had threatened to pull concerts, although he emphasized that he tried to negotiate a solution rather than remove Macklemore himself.

Robert Kraft Defends His Position

Kraft subsequently explained his reasoning in a statement.

He said Gillette Stadium has a responsibility to provide a welcoming environment and not offer “a platform for hate speech.”

Kraft cited Macklemore’s recent actions, material presented during Sheeran’s New Jersey concerts and what he described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that had caused offense and hurt within the Jewish community.

He said Macklemore appearing at Gillette Stadium on September 25 and 26 would, in his view, cross that line.

Kraft also stressed that his decision was not intended to diminish Palestinian suffering or deny anyone the ability to advocate for Palestinian civilians.

He argued that supporting Palestinians, opposing Hamas and standing against antisemitism should not be considered mutually exclusive.

Kraft said he would be willing to sit down with Macklemore to discuss their differences, adding that the ultimate goal should be peace and an end to suffering and hatred.

Macklemore Rejects Staying Neutral

Macklemore, however, defended his approach.

He acknowledged that antisemitism is real but argued that accusations of antisemitism should not be used to prevent criticism of the Israeli state.

He also said Sheeran had spoken with people who considered the Palestinian flag and phrase “Free Palestine” hurtful.

Macklemore said that revealed a fundamental difference in perspective between himself and those critics.

He rejected the idea that remaining neutral was an acceptable response to what he views as injustice against Palestinians.

Despite that disagreement, Macklemore said he hoped the controversy would not destroy his friendship with Sheeran.

‘I Needed 2’

For Macklemore, the significance of joining the Loop Tour wasn’t simply the number of concerts he could play.

It was the size of the platform.

“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,” he wrote.

“Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say, Free Palestine.”

Macklemore said that if speaking those words cost him his place on the tour while simultaneously returning attention to Palestinian suffering, he considered the outcome worthwhile.

“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,” he concluded.

Two Friends, Two Very Different Approaches

The dispute ultimately reveals a sharp difference between two artists who both insist their friendship remains important.

Macklemore believes his public platform comes with a responsibility to speak loudly about Palestinian suffering.

Sheeran believes his concerts should remain politically neutral spaces where audiences from different backgrounds can come together.

Macklemore says he accepts losing the stage for expressing his position.

Sheeran says he spent a week trying to keep him on it.

“I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so,” Sheeran wrote.

“I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.”

And as the controversy continues around his tour, Sheeran has now made the point he clearly wanted on record:

Macklemore is gone — but Sheeran says it was never his decision.