Robert Kraft Says Ed Sheeran Asked Him for $2 Million Amid the Macklemore Fallout
The Macklemore-Sheeran tour drama just picked up a very expensive new subplot.
Robert Kraft, the Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner, says Ed Sheeran personally called him and asked him to put up $2 million for humanitarian relief and that the call happened before Macklemore made his own donation pledge public. It’s a detail that reframes a story that, up until now, had mostly been about who got Macklemore kicked off the tour and why.
How we got here
Macklemore was pulled from Sheeran’s Loop Tour after he made pro-Palestinian remarks during a New Jersey show earlier this month. He didn’t take it quietly. Not only did he say Kraft had a hand in his removal claiming venue owners leaned on Sheeran’s tour team he also announced he’d donate the $1 million he earned from his two tour dates to Palestinian humanitarian relief. The money is going to six groups: the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA, and Anera.
Then he went a step further and dared Kraft to match it.
Kraft’s version of events
That’s where Kraft’s statement, released through Gillette Stadium, complicates the timeline. According to Kraft, it wasn’t Macklemore’s public challenge that got him to commit $2 million it was Sheeran, who’d already called him about it beforehand. Kraft framed it as part of a wider push to help with the humanitarian crisis, said he believes all lives deserve protection, and added that Sheeran intends to reach out to other venue owners to get them involved too.
Nobody’s said yet exactly which organizations will receive the $2 million. Variety reached out for more detail and didn’t get an answer.
Sheeran, for his part, has stuck to a different explanation for the whole controversy he says the call to remove Macklemore came from the tour promoter, not from him.
The tour is losing people over this
This isn’t staying contained to a war of statements. Several acts have dropped off the Loop Tour since the controversy started, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga.
Sheeran has said he wants to keep the tour going regardless fans already made plans around it, and there’s a large crew of musicians and production staff whose livelihoods depend on it continuing. He’s also been clear that he doesn’t want his shows turned into a stage for picking sides in the conflict.
Why this matters beyond the tour
What started as a dispute over one artist’s removal has turned into something bigger: a conversation about how touring artists, venue owners, and promoters navigate a geopolitical conflict that keeps finding its way into the middle of their business. The $2 million pledge shows how money can become the language people reach for when the politics get too messy to resolve directly but it also raises new questions. Who actually decides where that money goes? And does a donation settle the underlying dispute, or just sit alongside it?
For now, there’s no confirmed destination for the funds, and the rift between Kraft, Sheeran, and Macklemore hasn’t really closed it’s just gotten more expensive.
FAQs
Why is Robert Kraft donating $2 million?
Kraft says Ed Sheeran contacted him and asked him to commit $2 million toward humanitarian efforts in the region.
Did Macklemore challenge Robert Kraft to donate money?
Yes. Macklemore pledged $1 million from his tour earnings to Palestinian humanitarian organizations and publicly invited Kraft to match his donation.
Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour?
Macklemore was removed after making pro-Palestinian comments during a performance. Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour promoter, while Macklemore has attributed pressure to venue owners including Kraft.
How much did Ed Sheeran reportedly commit?
Kraft said Sheeran asked him to match a $2 million humanitarian commitment, meaning Sheeran had also committed $2 million, according to Kraft’s statement.
Where will the $2 million donations go?
The specific recipients of Kraft and Sheeran’s $2 million commitments have not yet been publicly identified. Macklemore separately named six organizations for his $1 million donation.
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