Actor Mark Ruffalo made a surprise video appearance at rapper Macklemore’s concert in Dublin, expressing support for the artist after he was reportedly dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US stadium tour following his “Free Palestine” remarks.
In a video message played during the concert, Ruffalo urged Macklemore and the audience to “keep fighting for a free Palestine and for humanity all over the world”.
Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his US stadium tour after the rapper shouted “Free Palestine” during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, according to Macklemore. In an Instagram post, the rapper alleged that billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and the Kraft Group, had pressured Sheeran to remove him from the tour.
“Ed told me that Kraft said, ‘I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium’,” Macklemore wrote.
He further alleged that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners, who collectively gave Sheeran an ultimatum: “If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”
Sheeran was scheduled to perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is owned by the Kraft Group.
Sheeran later addressed the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour during a performance at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, speaking about the Israel-Hamas war and the departure of some of his opening acts.
He described the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel as “horrific” and said they had “compounded centuries of Jewish pain”. He also described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.
While acknowledging the suffering on both sides, Sheeran did not explicitly endorse either side in the conflict.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” he said, apologising to fans.
Edited By Raunaq Lekhi