40 minutes on the line: The phone call that put Ed Sheeran under pressure

A 40-minute phone call between billionaire Robert Kraft and Ed Sheeran led to the removal of rapper Macklemore from Sheeran's tour, after Kraft banned him from performing at Gillette Stadium due to antisemitic incitement. In response, other artists left the tour in protest.

A 40-minute phone call between Jewish billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL team New England Patriots, and his close friend Ed Sheeran sealed the fate of Sheeran's tour. Kraft issued a firm ultimatum and banned rapper Macklemore from performing at his Gillette Stadium after Macklemore accused Israel of 'genocide'. Kraft called the remarks antisemitic incitement and threatened that if the rapper was not removed, the stadium gates would be locked and the shows canceled. The production company Messina Touring Group removed Macklemore, triggering a domino effect: Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Roux, and the band Beoga announced their departure in protest. Sheeran, who avoids political engagement, emphasized that Macklemore's contract was signed with the promoter, not with him, and that he tried to mediate between the parties. Macklemore donated one million dollars to Palestinian aid organizations; Kraft and Sheeran responded with a donation of two million dollars each for humanitarian aid in the region.