Ed Sheeran says the copyright infringement lawsuit filed against him robbed the singer of the chance to say goodbye to his beloved grandma.
The star says he will 'never get that time back' after missing the funeral to attend the trial.
A Manhattan jury found that Ed was not liable after he was accused of copying the harmonic progressions, melodic and rhythmic elements of Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On without permission for his hit track Thinking Out Loud.
He was accused of ripping off part of the famed soul track the iconic artist created with fellow songwriter Ed Townsend in a lawsuit originally filed by heirs of Townsend in 2017.
It took six years to finally reach a federal court and the timing couldn't have been worse.
He tuned in online to bid farewell to 98-year-old Anne ‘Nancy’ Sheeran, who inspired one of his most personal songs, Nancy Mulligan.
Ed hit out at the claims made against him in a statement outside court.
He said: "I’m just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggy bank for someone to shake.
"Having to be in New York for this trial has meant that I’ve missed being with my family at my grandmother’s funeral in Ireland and I will never get that time back.
"These trials take a significant toll on everyone involved."
The 32-year-old was unable to travel to Ireland but Ed’s father John made sure he was mentioned in the the eulogy.
He said: "I am very sad that our son Edward is unable to be here today. He’s so upset that he cannot be present – he has to be thousands of miles away in a court in America defending his integrity.
"I know he is comforted by the fact that he was able to spend some precious time alone with his grandma just a month ago."
Ed's nan's youngest son John Sheeran, 65, described his mother’s life as ‘rich and fulfilled’.
'Nancy Mulligan was a country girl with a tomboy spirit helping out on the family farm,' he said.
'Mum was a driven woman all her life, with a strong social conscience, and an innate desire to help others less fortunate than herself."
With his Subtract album due to be released this week, Ed told Rolling Stone magazine that he's "slowly" making his posthumous album.
“I want to slowly make this album that is quote-unquote ‘perfect’ for the rest of my life, adding songs here and there,” he said. “And just have it in my will that after I die, it comes out.”
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