Patriots' Kraft says Macklemore performance would cross line - ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who also owns Gillette Stadium, said Monday he had rapper Macklemore removed as an opening act for singer Ed Sheeran's shows at the venue later this month because the stadium «has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech.»

«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 that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line,» Kraft said in a statement shared with ESPN.

During shows at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5, Macklemore shared pro-Palestinian views about the war in Gaza while on stage. He advocated for Palestinian freedom and performed his protest song against the war, «Hind's Hall,» which in part describes Israel's actions in the region as «genocide.»

After Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251 others, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. The country has vehemently rejected the accusation of genocide from a growing chorus of organizations and experts.

Macklemore, 43, said on social media Monday that Sheeran informed him Kraft wouldn't allow Macklemore to perform at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore also said Sheeran told him that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to make the same decision and that Macklemore was subsequently dropped from