Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Says Macklemore Performance Would Cross the Line

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who also owns Gillette Stadium, said Monday that rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act for Ed Sheeran’s upcoming concerts at the stadium because his recent public statements and performances were considered inconsistent with the venue’s commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests.

In a statement shared with ESPN, Kraft said Gillette Stadium has a longstanding policy against providing a platform for hate speech. He cited Macklemore’s recent actions, comments made during Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey and what he described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that he believes has been deeply offensive to the Jewish community.

“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery,” Kraft said, “we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”

Macklemore performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5, where he expressed support for Palestinians and spoke about the ongoing war in Gaza. He also performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall,” which criticizes Israel’s actions in the region and refers to them as “genocide.”

The conflict began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. Israel has strongly rejected accusations that its military campaign amounts to genocide.

Macklemore, 43, said on social media Monday that Sheeran had informed him that Kraft would not allow him to perform at Gillette Stadium. The rapper also claimed that Sheeran told him Kraft had contacted other stadium owners and that Macklemore was subsequently removed from the tour.

Kraft, 85, who is Jewish, stressed that

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