Ed Sheeran is facing what has been described as the most damaging moment of his career. The controversy arose after rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act for Sheeran's US tour, following Macklemore's public expression of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli government sentiments on stage.
Macklemore stated that concert venue owners threatened to cancel the remainder of Sheeran's tour dates unless he was dropped. Robert Kraft, an 85-year-old billionaire and one of the venue owners, issued a statement alleging that Macklemore had used "hate speech" during his performance.
Sheeran denied being "complicit" in Macklemore's removal. However, he confirmed that he agreed to the venue owners' demands to prevent disappointing fans and to ensure the continued employment of his other support acts. Awkwardly, these other acts subsequently left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.