Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on his estranged cousin's public attacks, telling an Atlanta crowd on October 3 that he recently found old messages from a family member he "hasn't spoken to in a very long time" — an apparent indirect reply to his cousin Jethro Sheeran, who has publicly called him "selfish" and a "coward."

The moment came during Sheeran's Loop Tour stop at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The 35-year-old singer told the audience he had recently located an old phone he had stopped using about a decade ago, and that checking its notifications surfaced 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," Sheeran said in video shared from the show. "You might have seen [my relative] recently on social media." He did not name Jethro onstage.

Jethro's attacks have intensified alongside the controversy over Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's tour. In a September 17 Instagram rant, Jethro called Ed "selfish" and "malicious," writing: "I'm ashamed of my cousin Ed he's done. Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He's not a good person." He described himself as the singer's "first blood cousin" and claimed Ed had "screwed me over" and "made fun of my mental health and mental health in general." Jethro has also alleged that Ed personally decided to drop Macklemore from the tour — disputing Sheeran's insistence that it was the promoter's and venues' decision — telling Piers Morgan Uncensored: "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."

Jethro has additionally claimed the cousins were once close, alleging he introduced Sheeran to recording studios and live performances before his rise to fame, and discussed the rift at length with journalist Don Lemon on September 25. Sheeran, for his part, has publicly denied involvement in dismissing Macklemore and, until Atlanta, had never publicly addressed Jethro's comments.

Sheeran's brief onstage remark suggested the tension between the cousins began long before the current tour controversy — a family fracture now playing out in public, with the Macklemore fallout as its accelerant. No reconciliation appears in sight, and Sheeran continues his scheduled Loop Tour dates as the feud simmers.

Jethro, 44, has kept up the pressure across multiple platforms, including a lengthy September 25 interview with journalist Don Lemon and the earlier Piers Morgan appearance, in which he claimed the cousins were once close and that he introduced Sheeran to recording studios before his fame. Sheeran's camp has not responded beyond the Atlanta remark. The Loop Tour rolls on — with the family feud now as much a part of its story as the music.