Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour drama has officially turned into a family affair. As the singer continues to face backlash over Macklemore’s removal from the tour, his cousin Jethro Sheeran has joined the controversy, bringing years of grievances to the surface and making it clear he has no plans to keep them private.
The British rapper and producer, who performs under the name Alonestar, branded Ed a “coward,” took aim at his character, and claimed that fans were finally seeing past the singer’s carefully crafted public image. “Finally it’s all coming out!” Jethro wrote on Instagram. “I’m ashamed of my Cousin Ed.”
And that was just the beginning.
Jethro accused Ed of being a “selfish individual with malicious, cunning ways,” alleging that the superstar mocked his mental health, caused him financial harm, and personally stepped in to have their collaborative tracks removed from streaming platforms.
Neither Ed nor Warner Music had publicly addressed those allegations as of this writing.
Jethro also pushed back against any suggestion that he is simply a distant relative looking for attention. The first cousins worked together early in their careers on tracks including “Raise Em Up,” “Real Life” and “All Falls Down.”
According to Jethro, he introduced Ed to his first studio, helped get him onstage, and stood by him when he was bullied at school.
“He only cared about himself,” Jethro alleged, accusing Ed of creating convenient narratives to protect private bookings and business relationships. He suggested the Macklemore situation was simply another example of that behavior.
Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed’s tour after shouting “Free Palestine,” performing “Hind’s Hall,” and displaying images from Gaza during two MetLife Stadium shows. Multiple venue operators reportedly declined to host concerts featuring him on the lineup.
Ed has maintained that promoter Messina Touring Group made the final call after negotiations with the venues broke down. Jethro dismissed that explanation.
“He’s dropped Macklemore himself—I believe 100%,” he wrote. “He’s a coward.”
Jethro is also not the only person pointing the finger at Ed. Ms. Rachel said the singer had an opportunity to show that artists would not be “bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine.”
“Instead he caved,” the children’s educator wrote, adding that “silence during a genocide is not neutral.”
Colin Kaepernick, meanwhile, zeroed in on the financial influence surrounding the decision. Macklemore alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium, convinced other stadium operators not to host him.
Kraft confirmed that he opposed Macklemore performing at Gillette but said the decision was based on rhetoric and imagery he viewed as antisemitic, rather than Macklemore’s support for Palestinians.
Kaepernick, who previously accused NFL owners of conspiring to keep him out of the league after his protests against police brutality, said the Macklemore controversy revealed a similar system at work.
“They are willing to collude,” Kaepernick told MeidasTouch. “They are openly colluding.”
When commenters accused Jethro of being jealous, he fired back with a brutal response: “Jealous of what? His looks? His guitar playing?”
He maintained that he owns his catalog, is financially independent, and has no interest “to look like or be like an Ed Sheeran.”
As the backlash continued to grow, Ed addressed the controversy at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field after all of the remaining opening acts dropped out in solidarity with Macklemore. Ed admitted to making mistakes, apologized to fans, and described the devastation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
But the apology hasn’t silenced his cousin. Jethro is now teasing a forthcoming track titled “Eject,” which he says will shed more light on their relationship.
