| HEADLINE |
|
Ed Sheeran says family and friends ‘abandoned’ him amid Palestine row
Published : Monday, 21 September, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Observer Online Report
Ed Sheeran said he felt “abandoned” by friends and family amid the controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore’s removal from his tour over his pro-Palestine comments.
Speaking at a concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran described the past week as the “hardest week” of his life and broke down in tears while addressing the backlash.
“In these situations you really find out who your friends are,” he told the audience, saying people he had known for years were “backing away” and urging him to cancel his tour.
He said the support of around 50,000 fans who attended the show had given him reassurance.
“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me,” Sheeran said. “I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me.”
The controversy began after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour following his public support for Palestine. Sheeran said he had not made the decision and had attempted to find a compromise.
Several support acts, including Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas, as well as Sheeran’s backing band, reportedly withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Sheeran said the pressure had become so intense that he had questioned whether he wanted to continue his career in music.
During the concert, he also addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying the October 7 attack in Israel and at the Nova music festival was “horrific” while describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Sheeran’s cousin Jethro had criticised him online, calling him a “coward” and a “bad human.”
Sheeran also said he had been concerned about his safety and removed the smaller B-stage from the show, which had previously taken him into the middle of the crowd.
Despite calls for a boycott and for him to cancel the tour, around 50,000 people attended the Philadelphia concert.
- MaT
Loading...
Loading...
Also read
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
