Ed Sheeran’s cousin takes personal jab at singer amid Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ speech backlash

Ed Sheeran’s cousin Jethro Sheeran labeled the musician “selfish” and “malicious” in a scathing rant bashing him for the concert controversy with Macklemore. “Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed he’s done. Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist,” Jethro began via Instagram Thursday. “He’s honestly a selfish individual with malicious, cunning ways… I’m his first blood cousin and he screwed me over, made fun of my mental health and mental health in general.” Ed Sheeran’s cousin Jethro Sheeran (pictured above) slammed the “selfish” musician in a scathing rant after his concert controversy with Macklemore. alonestarsheeran/Instagram “Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed he’s done. Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person,” Jethro (seen in a throwback photo) wrote. alonestarsheeran/Instagram Despite Macklemore previously saying that Ed was pressured into dropping him from his tour by stadium owners, Jethro said he believes Ed made the decision himself, calling his cousin “shady” and a “coward.” “In my opinion he’s a bad human. Just my opinion from my experiences.” Jethro alleged that in their younger years, he used to look out for Ed and even introduced him to music, but that the “Shape of You” singer “only cared about himself.” “He puts out [a] fake narrative that’s calculated just to keep everyone happy so he can do big private gigs and keep brand deals etc. I agree with all the comments he’s got and [the] bad press. Jethro labeled his cousin “shady” and a “coward,” claiming he was completely behind Macklemore’s firing. alonestarsheeran/Instagram “He puts out [a] fake narrative that’s calculated just to keep everyone happy,” Jethro claimed. alonestarsheeran/Instagram “Beware that he’s very calculated and cruel. That’s my honest opinion and I’m family!!” he concluded. Page Six has reached out to Ed’s rep for comment. The harsh rant comes days after Macklemore was dropped from Ed’s Loop Tour after the rapper yelled “Free Palestine” onstage at a recent show. After his firing made headlines, Macklemore (real name: Benjamin Hammond Haggerty) addressed it himself, claiming the “Perfect” crooner was pressured by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to drop him from the tour due to his political stance. The harsh rant comes days after Macklemore (pictured in June 2025) was dropped from Ed’s Loop Tour after he yelled “Free Palestine” onstage at a recent show. Redferns The Grammy-winning rapper (pictured in July 2025) released a statement after his firing, claiming billionaire Robert Kraft and other stadium owners pressure Ed to make the move. Getty Images According to Macklemore, the billionaire — whose Kraft Group owns and operates the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — rallied up other stadium owners who collectively gave Ed “an ultimatum.” The “Thrift Shop” rapper also detailed the “painful disagreement” he and Ed had because the latter’s “typical apolitical stance.” “We’ve had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement,” Macklemore, 43, wrote. Ed, 35, later claimed in a statement that he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge” and denied having anything to do with Macklemore being pulled from the tour. Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Macklemore also detailed the “painful disagreement” he and Ed (pictured in 2014) had because the latter’s “typical apolitical stance.” Kevin Winter The “Thrift Shop” crooner (seen above with Ed in 2013) said the conversation with his longtime friend ultimately ended in “fundamental disagreement.” Kevin Mazur “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” he wrote. “I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,” he added. In solidarity with Macklemore, all of Ed’s other tour openers, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, all dropped out of the Loop Tour. Fans have also demanded refunds from Ticketmaster after the “Can’t Hold Us” emcee was fired. The “Shape of You” singer (pictured at the 2025 Jingle Ball concert) later claimed in a statement that he had nothing to do with Macklemore being pulled from the tour. Kevin MazurGetty Images for iHeartRadio “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” Ed (pictured in January) wrote. Deadline via Getty Images Additionally, Macklemore announced he was donating his entire $1 million earnings from Ed’s tour to six Palestinian aid organizations. In response, Kraft pledged to donate $2 million to “aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis” and said he was willing to sit and chat with Macklemore to talk about their political differences. The businessman insisted that he’s dedicated his life to trying to help people come together and believes that “all lives are worth protecting.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! 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