Gillette Stadium owner cites concerns over Macklemore\u2019s rhetoric as reason for barring him from performances.<\/p>\n
Billionaire Robert Kraft has confirmed that Macklemore<\/a> has been barred from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after the rapper said his support for Palestine led to his being dropped from pop star Ed Sheeran\u2019s tour.<\/p>\n Kraft said in a statement received by Al Jazeera on Monday that Macklemore\u2019s recent performances and what he described as a \u201cbroader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery\u201d led Gillette Stadium, which is owned and operated by the Kraft group, to determine that his appearances there on September 25 and 26 \u201cwould cross that line\u201d.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n \u201cThis decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,\u201d Kraft said. \u201cBut that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas \u2026 whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.\u201d<\/p>\n Kraft\u2019s statement came after Macklemore claimed Sheeran informed him that Kraft was barring him from performing at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore also alleged that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum: \u201cIf Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.\u201d<\/p>\n Kraft did not directly address the claim that he had contacted other stadium owners.<\/p>\n Macklemore made the allegations in a lengthy\u00a0Instagram statement\u00a0on Monday, the same day promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed that venues had refused to host upcoming shows with the rapper on the lineup.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure how to start this. So I\u2019m going to speak from the heart and share the truth,\u201d Macklemore wrote. \u201cEd Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.\u201d<\/p>\n But Macklemore said neither he nor Sheeran, nor singer Pink, who had reposted criticism of his performance, were the victims in the controversy.<\/p>\n Messina Touring Group, the tour promoter, confirmed Macklemore\u2019s removal from the tour in a statement to Rolling Stone<\/a> magazine on Monday\u2060.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,\u201d the Messina Touring Group said. \u201cAfter discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.\u201d<\/p>\n Al Jazeera has not independently verified Macklemore\u2019s account, and neither Sheeran nor his press office has commented.<\/p>\n \u2018I don\u2019t take sides\u2019<\/p>\n Macklemore described Sheeran as a close friend of 13 years and said the two had several difficult conversations over the past week.<\/p>\n \u201cHe couldn\u2019t get past his public-facing, \u2018I don\u2019t take sides,\u2019\u201d Macklemore wrote, referring to Sheeran\u2019s reluctance to take a public stance on Israel\u2019s war on Gaza.<\/p>\n