Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour over controversy surrounding his "Free Palestine" plea.

The 43-year-old rapper recently hit headlines when he took to the stage to open Ed's Loop Tour at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Friday (09.04.26), and he told the crowd: "One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!"

Pink and Boy George were among those who hit out at his comments, and Macklemore has now confirmed he won't play further dates on the tour - but he isn't blaming Ed for the decision.

He wrote on Instagram: "I'm not sure how to start this. So I'm going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.

"But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.

"The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don't lose sight of that."

Macklemore told how he had shared some "difficult conversations" with his "friend" Ed in recent days, but insisted he doesn't want to "tear down" the star's character.

The Thrift Shop hitmaker also claimed Robert Kraft - the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium - left Ed in a "f***** up position" in terms of his position on the tour.

Macklemore - who was due to support Sheeran at Gillette Stadium on September 25th and 26th - wrote: "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium.

"Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.

"Ed was in a f***** up position. He knew it."

Kraft said in a statement: "Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech. Based on Macklemore's recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran's shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.

"This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real.

"But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

"I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate. Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.

"Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium.

"I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same - peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate."