Ed Sheeran to donate $2m to humanitarian causes after Macklemore tour axe amid Palestine comment saga
Ed Sheeran phoned New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to request that he commit $2m (£1.5m) to match the British singer’s own donation towards humanitarian relief efforts, it has emerged.
In a statement released through the Gillette Stadium social media channels on Wednesday, the billionaire said this conversation took place prior to pro-Palestine rapper Macklemore publicly challenging him to match a separate pledge.
“Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” Mr Kraft wrote.
However, the 85-year-old stadium owner did not explicitly confirm whether he had agreed to the contribution, nor did he specify where the funds would be directed.
Mr Sheeran himself has not publicly commented on any donation.
The donation announcement followed a pledge earlier on Wednesday by Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, to give the entirety of his $1m (£750,000) net earnings from Mr Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations providing direct assistance to Palestinians.
Among the named recipients were the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, Heal Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and Anera.
In an Instagram post, the Grammy-winning rapper said he wanted to refocus attention on “the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.”
Ed Sheeran is facing a tour without any support acts after removing Macklemore over his pro-Palestine stance
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GETTYHe directly invited Mr Kraft to match his contribution, writing: “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.
“This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change.”
The row stems from Macklemore’s removal from Mr Sheeran’s Loop Tour on Monday, days before the concert series was due to resume in Philadelphia on Saturday.
During two performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month, the rapper had called for a “free Palestine” and displayed images of destruction in Gaza on stage.
Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after his remarks on Palestine | GETTYMr Kraft confirmed he had barred Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium, saying his venue would not “provide a platform for hate speech.”
He accused the rapper of having “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”, a characterisation Macklemore rejects.
Mr Sheeran, who performed at Mr Kraft’s 2022 wedding, said on Tuesday that the decision to drop Macklemore was taken by the tour’s promoters rather than by him, and that he would not be drawn into a public debate over Gaza.
The fallout from Macklemore’s dismissal was swift, with every remaining support act on the US tour withdrawing in solidarity.
Ed Sheeran requests Robert Kraft to match donation to humanitarian crisis charity amid backlash
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Finneas, brother of Billie Eilish, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish group Lukas Graham and Irish folk ensemble Beoga, who accompany Mr Sheeran on stage nightly, all announced their departures via social media.
The artists contended that the rapper’s removal amounted to a suppression of free expression.
Mr Kraft also used his statement to highlight his longstanding engagement with Palestinian causes, saying he had “supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” he said. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”
Mr Sheeran, according to Mr Kraft, intends to approach other venue owners with the aim of continuing collaborative humanitarian efforts.
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