Ed Sheeran suffers major blow as Macklemore controversy rages on

Ed Sheeran has lost nearly 500,000 Instagram followers since Macklemore got kicked off his Loop Tour. Macklemore announced that he was dropped from the tour because of his pro-Palestine comments on Sept. 14. Before that announcement, Sheeran’s Instagram follower count stood at 47.6 million, but now it stands at 47.2 million. Ed Sheeran (pictured at his Sept. 19 show) has lost nearly 500,000 Instagram followers since Macklemore got kicked off his Loop Tour. Kristen Sherwood/Bav Media / SplashNews.com Sheeran’s Instagram follower count stood at 47.6 million but after the announcement, it now stands at 47.2 million. Kristen Sherwood/Bav Media / SplashNews.com The major blow comes as Sheeran revealed he’s lost family and close friends due to the controversy. “In these situations you really find out who your friends are. It’s been a weird week,” he tearfully told the crowd at his Saturday show in video captured by a fan. “It happened very quickly. At the same time, I had so many people telling me to cancel this tour and so many people I’ve known for years and years and years they’re kind of backing away.” During his Sept. 19 show, the musician told his audience he’s lost family and close friends due to the controversy. Lone Pine Press for NY Post “I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he tearfully told the crowd. Lone Pine Press for NY Post “I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he said. “People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this.” Since igniting the controversy, all of Sheeran’s opening acts quit in solidarity with Macklemore. Ahead of Saturday’s show in Philadelphia, the “Thinking Out Loud” singer took drastic security measures because he feared people would throw things at him onstage. Macklemore was fired after shouting “Free Palestine” and performing his 2024 protest song at MetLife Stadium earlier this month (seen above). Alec Gearty In solidarity with the rapper, all of Sheeran’s opening acts have quit. Alec Gearty As Page Six previously reported, Macklemore was removed from the lineup after shouting “Free Palestine” and performing his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” during his set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. The “Thrift Shop” rapper addressed his firing in a statement shared to Instagram, claiming that Sheeran and his team made the decision to drop him after being pressured by Robert Kraft — owner of the Kraft Group, which operates Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts — and other stadium owners. According to Macklemore, Kraft “gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.” Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! On Sept. 14, Macklemore (pictured with Sheeran in a throwback photo) told his Instagram followers that Sheeran and his team were pressured to fire him by billionaire Robert Kraft. SplashNews.com Macklemore claims Sheeran was given the ultimatum, “if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.” via REUTERS Sheeran later addressed the situation in a statement on Instagram, claiming that Macklemore’s removal from the tour was the “promoter’s decision,” not his own, because his contract was “with the promoter” rather than Sheeran. Sheeran insisted he tried to “build a bridge” between the two sides, but ultimately, the issue came down to the way “Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance.” In addition to losing mass amounts of social media followers, Sheeran’s own cousin Jethro Sheeran called him “selfish,” “malicious” and “cunning,” in a scathing Instagram post last week following the controversy. Sheeran (pictured with Macklemore in 2013), later said that his removal from the tour was the “promoter’s decision,” not his own. Kevin Mazur Many fans have demanded refunds due to Macklemore’s removal from Loop Tour and have denounced Sheeran for not standing by the rapper. Ethan Miller “He puts out [a] fake narrative that’s calculated just to keep everyone happy so he can do big, private gigs and keep brand deals, etc. I agree with all of the comments he’s [gotten] and [the] bad press,” Jethro wrote in part. Fans have also demanded refunds for their concert tickets following Macklemore’s removal. Sheeran’s next tour dates are Friday and Saturday at Kraft’s Gillette Stadium. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. 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