After being dropped from Ed Sheeran's 2026 Loop Tour, Macklemore — who drew headlines after declaring “Free Palestine” during his opening sets at MetLife Stadium on Sep. 4 and 5 — has blamed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft for having him booted.

Shortly after the news of Macklemore being dropped from the remainder of his scheduled opening slots on Sheeran's tour, the rapper took to Instagram to break his silence.

He clarified that neither he nor Sheeran nor even Pink is a “victim” in this situation, saying, “Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.” In his estimation, the real “victims” are the Palestinian people.

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Macklemore then talked about his relationship with Sheeran, whom he considers a “brother.” They have had some “difficult conversations” lately, though they are “rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement.”

He allegedly told Sheeran that their relationship “can't change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.” During the week after his controversial remarks at the MetLife Stadium shows, Sheeran received a call from Kraft. Apparently, Kraft told him that Macklemore “wasn't allowed to perform in” Gillette Stadium, which he owns. He even made calls to other stadium owners and presented Sheeran with an “ultimatum.”

“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore alleged. “Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

Even Macklemore knows Sheeran was placed in a “f****d up position.” The rapper explained that Sheeran's “typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before.”

“He told me that the words ‘Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood,” Macklemore explained. “But he couldn't get past his public facing, ‘I don't take sides.'”

Macklemore understands this apolitical position, but he has “lost” things like “money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships, and access” that some may be scared to lost if they speak out.

According to the artist, he has been spreading the “Free Palestine” message for years. He believes backlash is happening now because he's “sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America.”

He concluded by wishing that this isn't “the end of my relationship with Ed.” Macklemore stated that his “door will always be open to continuing that conversation.”

Ultimately, he is satisfied with what happened. He explained that he only needed two shows to “say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say.” He concluded, “If those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I've ever been on.”