Robert Kraft, the US stadium owner who had pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore removed as Ed Sheeran’s opening act, says Sheeran asked him to match his own $2m (£1.5m) donation for “aid in the region”. It came after Macklemore said he would donate $1m (£750,000) to Palestinian organisations, challenging Kraft to match him.
Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, wrote on Wednesday: “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.
“Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.”
Kraft did not confirm whether he has agreed to make the $2m donation and where the funds would go, and this is the first time it has been suggested Sheeran had donated that sum. The musician has not commented about any donation he is making or other philanthropic plans.
Kraft’s comments came in his second statement this week on the controversy over Sheeran’s US tour.
On Monday, he confirmed he had banned Macklemore from performing during the British singer’s forthcoming shows at his Gillette Stadium near Boston.
Kraft, who is Jewish, accused the US rapper of hate speech during two previous support slots, where he called for “free Palestine” on stage and made other comments and showed images of Gaza.
Macklemore performed a song dedicated to pro-Palestinian protesters, and referred to “genocide” in Gaza, a description Israel rejects. The rapper also said criticism of Israel was not intended as criticism of “my Jewish brothers and sisters”.
Fierce controversy
Macklemore was removed from the tour on Monday, sparking a backlash that included Sheeran’s other support acts dropping out in protest.
Sheeran has said the decision to drop the rapper was made by his promoters, Messina Touring Group, not by him.
Messina Touring Group said Macklemore was dropped because some venues – such as Kraft’s Gillette Stadium – would refuse to let the concerts take place if he performed, meaning the tour would have been cancelled if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Sheeran, who played at Kraft’s wedding in 2022, has faced criticism from some for his apparent acceptance of the decision.
In his statement on Tuesday, the singer said he respects “Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes”, and that while he doesn’t use his own platform for politics, that “doesn’t mean I don’t care” or “support causes in my own, personal way”.
The singer-songwriter also said he did not want to let down his fans or crew by cancelling the tour, which is set to resume in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Although some artists like Billy Bragg have called for Sheeran to scrap the tour, that would potentially leave the musician and his promoters liable for huge sums for costs including venue hire and ticket refunds.
Sheeran is able perform solo, even if his set has to be reconfigured to compensate for the loss of Irish folk band Beoga, who previously accompanied him for several songs.
In Kraft’s latest statement, which was issued by Gillette Stadium on his behalf, he said he would like those speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know he has “supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians”.
Kraft also said he has worked to bring “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,” Kraft said. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”
The billionaire owner of the Kraft Group, a sports and event management company, did not say whether he had rallied other stadium owners to ban Macklemore from their venues, as the rapper has claimed.
The tycoon has also accused the Grammy-winning rapper of having “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”, which Macklemore denies.
He also said the rapper was “only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas”.
The other support acts who quit from Sheeran’s US tour in solidarity with Macklemore are Finneas, the brother of pop star Billie Eilish, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Danish band Lukas Graham, as well as Beoga.
The artists argued that Macklemore’s removal represented a chilling effect on free speech.
Macklemore said on Wednesday he would donate the entire $1m of his net earnings from Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six Palestinian organisations “to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people”.
“This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change,” he wrote on social media.
By BBC News
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