Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour

American rapper Macklemore was dropped from the remaining dates he was scheduled to open for Ed Sheeran on the US leg of the singer’s Loop Tour, following an overtly pro-Palestinian performance at MetLife Stadium that alienated many Jewish concertgoers, the tour’s promoter said Monday.

Hours after his removal was announced, Macklemore released a statement on Instagram, writing that Sheeran and his team had made the decision to drop him, and alleging that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had pressured the British singer and rallied other stadium owners against allowing Macklemore to perform at their venues.

Kraft later confirmed his role in the decision by Sheeran, taking credit for Macklemore’s removal.

Messina Touring Group, which promotes the US leg of Sheeran’s tour, told Rolling Stone in a statement that venues hosting upcoming dates had told the company they would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.

“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the company said.