Billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft pledged $2 million to aid Gaza’s “humanitarian crisis” on Wednesday amid blowback from rapper Macklemore being fired from opening Ed Sheeran’s world tour after speaking out to “Free Palestine” on stage.
The Kraft Group executive said that his donation comes as a match to Sheeran’s own $2 million commitment, as the Grammy winner reportedly rallies support from other stadium owners who did not want Macklemore performing on their properties. Macklemore, meanwhile, pledged his $1 million salary from the tour to related causes and challenged Kraft to do the same.
A representative for Sheeran did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft wrote in a statement shared to Gillette Stadium’s official X account. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting. Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis. Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.
“In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”
Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s Loop Tour on Monday ahead of a scheduled performance at Gillette Stadium after speaking out against Israel’s military action in Gaza during a performance earlier this month. The rapper said that it was Kraft’s decision to block him from performing at his stadium, and that he “had rallied some of the other stadium owners, and collectively they gave [Sheeran] an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”
Sheeran maintained on Tuesday that it was the promoters’ decision to drop Macklemore from the tour, not his own, and that he was remaining publicly neutral on the military conflict and continuing on with the tour.
“I would never let down the fans who had made plans,” he said, “nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
Later Tuesday, the Loop Tour’s remaining openers and house band — including Grammy winner Finneas and Irish musician Aaron Rowe — dropped out from performing with Sheeran, citing “Israeli genocide” and Kraft’s effort to silence artists who “speak up for the oppressed.”
In his commitment to donate $1 million to Palestinian causes on Wednesday, Macklemore called on Kraft to match his pledge in hopes that he and the billionaire businessman could at least see eye-to-eye on the need for aid in the region.
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting,” Macklemore wrote. “A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
The post Stadium Owner Robert Kraft Pledges $2 Million to Aid ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ in Gaza Amid Ed Sheeran-Macklemore Blowback appeared first on TheWrap.
