Jack Antonoff Criticizes Ed Sheeran Over Handling of Macklemore Tour Controversy

Producer Jack Antonoff publicly rebuked Ed Sheeran for his response to the removal of rapper Macklemore from the Loop Tour, a decision made after Macklemore displayed support for Palestine during a performance. Antonoff told The Guardian that expressing solidarity with Palestine is "a deeply human thing to say" and suggested that Sheeran could have cancelled the entire tour and performed free shows to raise funds, rather than yielding to pressure from wealthy promoters.

Sheeran has maintained that he was not complicit in Macklemore’s dismissal, while Macklemore later described Sheeran’s previously apolitical stance as being challenged. Following the controversy, all four of Sheeran’s supporting acts left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore, and the singer’s social-media following reportedly fell by tens of thousands.

During a subsequent concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran addressed the situation, describing the week as "one of the worst" of his life and noting that his friends and family had "abandoned" him. He also issued a statement condemning the October 7 attacks in Israel as horrific and describing the ongoing situation in Gaza as "catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate."