The Macklemore tour row has now become a family dispute, with Jethro Sheeran accusing his cousin Ed Sheeran of being a “coward” and claiming he personally removed the US rapper from the Loop Tour. Ed has said the decision belonged to the tour promoter, leaving two sharply different accounts and no shortage of public drama.

Macklemore was dropped from the remaining dates on Ed’s tour after making pro-Palestine comments on stage. The rapper later said Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft had issued an “ultimatum” that led to his removal.

Ed responded with a statement denying that he had made the call. According to the Shape of You singer, the promoter decided to remove Macklemore. His cousin is not persuaded.

What did Jethro Sheeran say about the dispute?

In a promotional clip for an upcoming episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, Jethro Sheeran said he believed Ed had personally kicked Macklemore off the tour.

“Seeing what he did to Macklemore, I believe that he kicked him off that show, as I’ve witnessed him being a coward for almost 10 years and lying,” Jethro said.

The 44-year-old did not provide evidence about the tour decision in the released clip, instead grounding his accusation in his own experiences with his cousin.

Piers Morgan raised the obvious question: whether Jethro’s attack could be motivated by jealousy of Ed’s global fame. Jethro rejected that suggestion and said he still wished the singer well.

“He’s very talented and people think I’m jealous, but jealous of what? His looks, his guitar?” he said. “I mean, I don’t hate him at all. I wish him the best.”

It was not exactly a warm family endorsement, but it did include one compliment.

Why has Ed Sheeran’s cousin spoken out now?

Jethro’s interview comments followed a hostile Facebook post published days earlier. In it, he said he was “ashamed” of Ed and claimed fans were beginning to see through him.

“Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed and what he’s done,” Jethro wrote.

He went on to attack both Ed’s character and music, adding: “Ed Sheeran! He is shady and he’s dropped Macklemore himself I believe 100 per cent he’s a coward.”

Jethro finished by describing Ed as a “bad human” while stressing that the assessment was based on his personal experiences. The claims remain his opinion, and Ed’s public position is still that the promoter, not the singer, made the decision concerning Macklemore.

The timing has made the dispute especially uncomfortable. Ed recently told concertgoers that he felt friends and family had abandoned him as the controversy intensified. Jethro’s public intervention has not done much to challenge that impression.

How did Ed Sheeran address fans on stage?

Ed made his first Loop Tour appearance since the controversy began at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. He became emotional while speaking to the crowd and acknowledged making mistakes without saying he had personally removed Macklemore.

“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry for them,” he said.

“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.”

The singer also said he had been uncertain whether the tour would continue. He described the previous week as difficult and said the crisis had changed how he viewed people close to him.

“In these situations, you really find out who your friends are and it’s been a weird week,” he told the audience. “I just feel like it happened very quickly.”

Ed said he had watched ticket sales for the Philadelphia concert and noticed that fans were continuing to buy seats rather than cancelling. That public support stood in contrast, he suggested, to the pressure he was receiving elsewhere.

“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me,” he said.

For now, Ed maintains that the promoter removed Macklemore, while Jethro insists his cousin was responsible. The tour continues, the family disagreement is public, and the administrative question of who made the final decision remains decidedly unresolved.