Billionaire Kraft says Ed Sheeran sought $2 million aid donation from him amid fracas over Macklemore's Palestine comments

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

Billionaire Robert Kraft said Ed Sheeran had asked him to commit $2 million for aid after musician Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran's tour after he made pro-Palestinian comments from the stage.

Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots NFL football team, said in a statement Thursday that Sheeran had called him before Macklemore publicly challenged the billionaire to match a $1 million donation the rapper said he would make to Palestinian relief organizations.

"Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis," Kraft said.

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

Sheeran also plans to contact other venue owners to encourage additional donations, according to Kraft's statement.

The exchange follows a dispute over Macklemore's participation in Sheeran's U.S. tour after the rapper made pro-Palestinian remarks during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran's tour.

Macklemore said in an Instagram post earlier this week that Sheeran told him Kraft would not allow him to perform at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by the Kraft Group. He also said Sheeran told him that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and that they collectively gave Sheeran an ultimatum: Macklemore would have to leave the tour or Sheeran would not be allowed to perform at their venues.

Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis

Addressing the criticism of his remarks, Macklemore wrote that "antisemitism is real," but said that criticism of Israel and calls to "Free Palestine" should not be conflated with hatred of Jewish people.

All four of Sheeran's other supporting acts, Finneas , Aaron Rowe , Irish band Beoga and Danish band Lukas Graham , also announced on Instagram that they were withdrawing from the tour.

"Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas wrote.

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

Sheeran's worldwide Loop Tour kicked off in New Zealand and Australia in January, with its North American leg beginning in June and scheduled to run through Nov. 7.

- CNBC's Dan Mangan and Jack Sommers contributed to this article.

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