Rachel Accurso, the massive YouTube star known to millions as Ms. Rachel, just announced she is donating $1 million to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), as reported by the CBC. This move comes as a direct response to a pledge made by rapper Macklemore, who recently found himself removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Accurso shared her commitment on Instagram on Thursday, September 26, calling on other influential figures to step up.
In her post, she wrote, “Every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza.” She emphasized the gravity of the situation by noting, “Over 20,000 precious Palestinian children have been killed and children continue to be killed every day,” and added, “We have a moral obligation to use our privilege and platforms to protect children and human rights.”
This development follows a chaotic week for Ed Sheeran’s tour. Macklemore was cut from the lineup after his onstage comments regarding the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank. During a concert on September 4, he repeatedly shouted “Free Palestine,” which led to significant pressure from pro-Israel groups and venue owners.
Ms. Rachel became global ambassador for PCRF last September
By the following day, Macklemore addressed the situation during a speech, stating, “criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you.” He further clarified his stance by saying, “My message is for peace — love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
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Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, confirmed he played a central role in the rapper’s removal. Kraft stated that his venue would “not provide a platform for hate speech” and accused the artist of ignoring the actions of Hamas.
This decision ignited a firestorm of criticism against Sheeran, who eventually took to Instagram on Tuesday to clarify his position. Sheeran insisted that the decision to remove Macklemore came from the promoters, not him. While Sheeran expressed that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” he maintained that he prefers to keep his personal views private.
The fallout was swift. Shortly after Sheeran’s statement, every remaining supporting act, including the band Boega, announced they were leaving the tour. This leaves the tour without any opening acts for the upcoming performance in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 28.
In an attempt to shift the narrative, Kraft announced on Wednesday that he and Sheeran are each donating $2 million toward humanitarian aid in Gaza. This move came after Macklemore challenged others to match his own donation of $1 million in net earnings from the tour.
Kraft shared the news on X, explaining that Sheeran initiated the contact to coordinate the effort. Kraft noted, “Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid the region to fight this humanitarian crisis,” and added, “Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.”
