At his Loop Tour stop at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 3, Ed Sheeran briefly addressed his estranged cousin Jethro Sheeran, who has spent weeks ranting on social media calling the singer "selfish" and "malicious" since Macklemore was dropped as Sheeran's tour opener after a "Free Palestine" speech in early September.
"You might have seen [my relative] recently on social media," Sheeran told the crowd, according to video from the show, explaining that he had recently found an old phone he had stopped using about a decade ago and discovered messages from people no longer in his life. "The other text messages were, like, from a family member who I haven't spoken to in a very long time," he said. Sheeran did not say Jethro's name onstage, but the reference was unmistakable.
Jethro lashed out on Instagram on September 17, shortly after the Macklemore news broke. "I'm ashamed of my cousin Ed he's done," he wrote in part. "Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He's not a good person." He called Sheeran "selfish" with "malicious, cunning ways," claimed Ed had "screwed me over" and mocked his mental health, and alleged that Ed — not the venues — was the one who decided to drop Macklemore. Jethro has since repeated the attacks in interviews, including an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, claiming the cousins were once close and that he introduced Sheeran to recording studios before his rise to fame.
The Macklemore dispute began after the rapper delivered a "Free Palestine" speech during his September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Macklemore was subsequently removed from the U.S. leg of the Loop Tour, where he had been scheduled to open eight remaining dates. Macklemore said stadium owners — led by Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft — had threatened to cancel Sheeran's concerts unless the rapper was removed. Sheeran has insisted otherwise: "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine," he wrote, saying he had spoken with venues and promoters in an attempt to find a resolution. Other supporting acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Jethro has publicly disputed Sheeran's account, telling Piers Morgan: "Seeing what he did to Macklemore I believe he kicked him off that show. I believe he did it with his team and then he blamed the promoter." Sheeran's brief Atlanta remark — the first time he has publicly acknowledged the family feud — suggested the rift between the cousins began long before the current tour controversy. Neither side has shown any sign of reconciliation, and Sheeran continues his scheduled Loop Tour dates without his original support lineup.