Ed Sheeran is reportedly “in bits” and “wants to disappear” over the fallout of Macklemore being dropped from his tour following his pro-Palestine speech.
The singer, 35, broke down in tears onstage earlier this week and said he feels “abandoned” by friends and family after choosing to continue with his Loop tour despite his good friend Macklemore being axed.
His four other opening acts have quit in solidarity with Macklemore, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, while pro-Palestine protests have been staged outside his shows.
Now, sources have claimed Sheeran is “terrified” at the thought of performing at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts on Friday - the venue Macklemore was axed from.
He is reportedly considering taking a long break from his music career and going “totally off-grid” somewhere he can “pretend he’s not famous”.
“He has made a pattern of taking himself away for long periods during his career, especially since starting a family,” a source told The Mail.
Sheeran has previously travelled to far flung locations, including Japan, Antartica, Australia and New Zealand.
“He loves nothing more than to put on a baseball cap and go back to being normal Ed, with no showbiz entourage or anything. He likes to go totally off-grid – and he’s never needed it more,” the source explained.
The insider added that he feels “exploited” by celebrities, friends and family who have criticised him in the fallout.
Chef and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain accused him of weaponising “white tears” while Sheeran’s estranged cousin Jethro called him a “bad human” and a “coward”.
“He’s completely exhausted emotionally. And every time he tries to make the situation better another celebrity comes out of the woodwork and criticises him. He feels a bit exploited and used by others who seem to be enjoying the publicity at his expense. Some of the comments have come as a real shock,” the source said.
The Standard has contacted Sheeran’s representative for comment.
Sheeran broke down in tears onstage on Monday and said: “I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandoned me.”
He added that he had made “mistakes” in how he handled the Macklemore fallout and wasn’t sure if the tour would continue.
Last week, he insisted he was “not complicit” in Macklemore’s exit and was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” but was not willing to “abandon” his crew and support acts on the tour.
The controversy began when Macklemore gave a two-minute speech at his New Jersey show earlier this month, saying he wanted the people of Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” to know “we have not forgotten about them”.
He then launched into protest song Hind’s Hall, which condemns Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and was dedicated to pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University. Images of the devastation in Gaza were shown whilst he performed.
Macklemore told the crowd that a large reason why he signed on to the tour was for the opportunity to speak on the ongoing conflict.
The following day, at his second appearance at the MetLife Stadium, he reiterated his previous message with a direct address to Jewish members in the audience.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love; for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality,” he said.
Shortly after his remarks, the Israeli-American Council launched a petition asking Sheeran and his management to remove Macklemore from the remaining dates.
Macklemore then announced he would no longer be playing the remaining dates of Sheeran’s Loop tour.
The 43-year-old said that despite his long-standing friendship with Sheeran, “it can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened”.
Macklemore said that billionaire Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft had organised the boycott, rallying other stadium owners who ultimately gave Sheeran the ultimatum: “If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues”.
“Ed was in a f***** up position,” the rapper wrote. “He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it had never been before.”
The following day, Sheeran issued a statement of his own, where he confirmed that Kraft had issued an ultimatum.
“I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care.”
He said his audiences often include children and young people “from all backgrounds”, which is why he does not use the stage for politics.
Macklemore has since donated his one million-dollar (£747,328) tour net earnings to charities supporting Palestinian people, and challenged Kraft, who reportedly called for his removal from the tour, to do the same.
