Piers Morgan has slammed Ed Sheeran following the singer’s emotional comments about Macklemore’s Free Palestine controversy during his Philadelphia concert. The 61-year-old broadcaster said Sheeran looked like a “bullied puppet” who had been forced to address the matter.
Piers Morgan took aim at Ed Sheeran’s public response to the controversy surrounding his tour
In a lengthy Instagram statement posted September 14, Macklemore alleged that Robert Kraft, CEO of the Kraft Group and owner of Gillette Stadium, called Sheeran to tell him the rapper would not be allowed to perform at the venue. After Macklemore was dropped from the lineup, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe also announced his departure. Danish band Lukas Graham said they would no longer be part of the tour. Irish folk band Beoga also announced their exit.
On September 19, Sheeran took the stage amid controversy over Macklemore’s departure from the Loop Tour. Before his performance, Sheeran apologized to the crowd for the situation. He said, “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans.”
The singer further stated, “I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7th, was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” Sheeran continued, “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian loss and loss of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Morgan shared a clip of Sheeran’s speech, and took an aim at him by saying, “I agree with Ed Sheeran’s overview of the Israel/Hamas war (Oct 7 terrible, Israel response disproportionate) but I wish he hadn’t bowed to the mob and felt forced to say it publicly, especially reading it off an autocue like some bullied puppet. He needs better advisors.” Sheeran will next perform on September 25 at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
