{"id":858791,"date":"2026-09-24T09:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858791\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T09:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T09:26:12","slug":"ed-sheeran-loses-nearly-half-a-million-social-media-followers-amid-macklemore-scandal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/858791\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed Sheeran loses nearly half a million social media followers amid Macklemore scandal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ed Sheeran<\/a> has lost almost half a million Instagram followers amid the near-implosion of his US tour.<\/p>\n

The British singer-songwriter has been embroiled in an ongoing controversy following the decision to drop his opening act Macklemore<\/a> from the Loop tour, after the rapper made a number of pro-Palestine comments on stage.<\/p>\n

Macklemore claimed that Robert Kraft<\/a> \u2013 the CEO of Kraft Group who owns Gillette Stadium \u2013 personally called Sheeran to say he would not be allowed to perform at the venue, while Sheeran later responded by stating he would not be drawn into a public debate<\/a> about the Gaza war and that it was \u201cthe promoter\u2019s decision\u201d to remove Macklemore.<\/p>\n

The fallout continued when Sheeran\u2019s other opening acts withdrew<\/a>, while protesters gathered outside his first Macklemore-less concert last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sheeran made a further comment on the scandal during his 19 September show, by reading a prepared statement off a teleprompter. \u201cI\u2019ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m so, so sorry. I don\u2019t want to disappoint fans. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EdEd Sheeran in 2025 (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cWhat happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian loss and loss of children\u2019s lives. And the systemic injustice we\u2019re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Sheeran\u2019s actions have been met by divisive responses from fans, with some attempting to cancel their tickets to his forthcoming gigs, and his follower count on social media plummeting.<\/p>\n

According to Social Blade<\/a> data, Sheeran\u2019s Instagram account shed nearly 150,000 followers on the day (15 September) he first commented on Macklemore\u2019s removal from his tour. A further 150,000 accounts unfollowed him the next day, and 98,000 a day later.<\/p>\n

The decline continued over the weekend, when Sheeran made his first stage appearance with a tearful address to fans in Philadelphia. As of 23 September, his follower count is 47.2 million, down half a million followers in one week. <\/p>\n

A number of stars have commented on the ongoing controversy, with Sting agreeing that Sheeran is in \u201ca difficult dilemma\u201d<\/a>, and Charlotte Church declaring on stage at one of her gigs<\/a> that Sheeran had chosen \u201cconsumerism and capitalism\u201d over \u201cdoing the right thing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst he has made millions and has an enormous following, he has an enormous platform to do real good in the world,\u201d she said. \u201cEd Sheeran, we\u2019re watching you. Free Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EdEd Sheeran and Macklemore (Getty)<\/p>\n

Sheeran has also been lampooned on Saturday Night Live UK<\/a>, in a sketch which depicted the singer as \u201csitting on the fence\u201d as war broke out between humans and artificially intelligent robots. \u201cI don\u2019t like to take sides. I don\u2019t want to alienate any of my fans \u2013 humans or robots,\u201d cast member Annabel Marlow said as Sheeran, complete with ginger hair, guitar and tattoos.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Macklemore announced on social media<\/a> that he would donate $1m in net earnings from his appearances on Sheeran\u2019s tour<\/a> to organisations aiding Palestinians, while challenging Kraft to match the sum.<\/p>\n

Kraft acknowledged that Sheeran asked him to match the \u201cShape of You\u201d singer\u2019s own $2m donation. It has not yet been confirmed whether Kraft went ahead with the donation but he said in a statement that the pair planned to \u201cwork together to build bridges\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sheeran is next scheduled to perform on 25 September at Kraft\u2019s Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n