Robert Kraft, Ed Sheeran each pledge $2 million in aid amid Macklemore tour fallout

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced Wednesday that he is committing $2 million toward humanitarian aid in the Israel-Gaza region, saying pop star Ed Sheeran personally asked him to match a donation of the same size — a pledge that arrived amid an escalating controversy over Kraft’s role in Macklemore’s removal from Mr. Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Neither man has specified where the money will go, a distinction from Macklemore’s earlier pledge, which he earmarked directly for named Palestinian relief organizations.

Mr. Kraft’s statement, posted to Gillette Stadium’s social media account, said the request from Mr. Sheeran came before Macklemore publicly challenged him to match a separate $1 million donation the rapper pledged earlier the same day.

“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting,” Mr. Kraft wrote, adding that Sheeran “now plans to reach out to other venue owners” to encourage further giving.

Macklemore, by contrast, said on Instagram that his entire $1 million in net earnings from Mr. Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” would be split among six organizations supporting Palestinians, writing that he wanted to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs.” He added a pointed message to Mr. Kraft: “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.”

The Macklemore ouster

The donations follow days of fallout after Mr. Kraft, who also owns Gillette Stadium through the Kraft Group, confirmed he had barred Macklemore from Mr. Sheeran’s Sept. 25-26 shows in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and pushed for his removal from the tour more broadly. Mr. Kraft cited the stadium’s policy against providing “a platform for hate speech,” pointing to comments Macklemore made onstage during Mr. Sheeran’s Sept. 4-5 concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the rapper led a “Free Palestine” chant and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall.” Macklemore has said Mr. Sheeran told him Mr. Kraft rallied other NFL stadium owners to threaten pulling out of upcoming dates if the rapper remained on the bill. The tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, ultimately made the call to drop him, telling Rolling Stone — as cited by WBUR — that venues on the remaining dates would not allow a concert featuring Macklemore.

The blowback spread quickly. Four of Mr. Sheeran’s remaining supporting acts — Grammy winner Finneas, Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and the Danish band Lukas Graham — withdrew from the tour in solidarity, with Finneas writing that “artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.” Sheeran has maintained that dropping Macklemore was the promoter’s decision, not his own, and said in a statement that he is “not complicit,” though he has also acknowledged Mr. Kraft was among the venue representatives who raised concerns.

Kraft’s broader position

Mr. Kraft, who is Jewish, has spent years funding efforts to combat antisemitism, including a campaign he launched in 2023, and has previously been recognized for work fostering economic ties between young Israelis and Palestinians. In his initial statement explaining Macklemore’s removal, Mr. Kraft said the decision was “not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” but argued that advocacy “should not come at the expense of the Jewish community” or obscure the actions of Hamas, which the United States and other governments have designated a terrorist organization.

Mr. Sheeran is scheduled to resume his tour Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia before playing Gillette Stadium on Sept. 25 and 26, followed by stops in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Arlington, Texas, Hollywood, Florida, on Oct. 29 and 30, and Tampa on Nov. 7.