Ed Sheeran has briefly addressed the Macklemore tour fallout after his estranged cousin Jethro publicly accused him of being a “coward” and a “bad human.” Speaking during a concert in Atlanta, the 35-year-old singer referred to messages from a relative he said he had not spoken to in years.

Sheeran did not identify Jethro by name, but told the audience they “might have seen” the family member on social media recently. That narrowed the field rather efficiently.

Why was Macklemore removed from the tour?

The dispute began after Macklemore delivered a Free Palestine speech during an earlier performance. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft and other venue owners subsequently threatened to cancel Sheeran’s concerts unless the Thrift Shop rapper was removed as an opening act.

Sheeran dropped Macklemore from the tour in September 2026. The decision brought criticism from fans and fellow performers who argued that he should have supported his friend rather than accept the venues’ demand.

Macklemore responded by launching a small Free Palestine tour of his own, which has already sold out. Sheeran, meanwhile, has continued his scheduled dates without his original support lineup. His other opening acts and backing band reportedly withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.

The result is that one artist has a sold-out protest tour, while the other has a significantly emptier stage and an expanding collection of uncomfortable headlines.

What did Jethro say about Ed Sheeran?

Jethro published a lengthy Instagram post several weeks after Macklemore’s removal, describing his famous cousin as “selfish,” “malicious” and “cunning.” He also called Sheeran a “coward” and a “bad human,” alongside several other allegations about his character and past conduct.

He then took the dispute beyond social media, appearing on programmes including The Don Lemon Show and Piers Morgan Uncensored. During his interview with Piers Morgan, Jethro rejected the suggestion that jealousy motivated his criticism.

“I witnessed him being a coward for almost 10 years and lying,” he said.

Sheeran offered no detailed response to those accusations during the Atlanta concert. Instead, he confirmed that the relative had contacted him and stressed that they had not spoken “in a very long time.” The singer then continued with the show, leaving the family disagreement unresolved and very much public.

Amelia Dimoldenberg joins the criticism

The controversy also reached SNL UK, where presenter and comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg took aim at Sheeran. She previously interviewed him for her series Chicken Shop Date.

During her stage appearance, Dimoldenberg said she had been privileged to interview celebrities including Idris Elba and Cher, as well as “a world-famous redheaded puppet with a hand up his a**e telling him what to say.”

A picture of Elmo appeared behind her before she added: “No, the other one.” The screen then displayed an image of Sheeran.

Sheeran has continued touring despite the criticism, the loss of his supporting performers and increasingly direct attacks from within his own family. He has so far limited his public response to the brief remarks in Atlanta.