Philip DeFranco criticizes Ed Sheeran's response to Macklemore's tour removal
Host of The Philip DeFranco Show, giving his own commentary.
“at the very least, I'm disappointed in Ed”
The full case
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech on Ed Sheeran’s MetLife stage
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
September 14 episode on Philip DeFranco's verified YouTube channel. His own opinion criticizes Sheeran's response to Macklemore's removal and rejects conflating criticism of Israel's government with antisemitism. The criticism is directed at Sheeran's response and exclusion, not at Macklemore's speech. The Ms. Rachel quotation at 13:43–13:52 belongs to her and is excluded from DeFranco's excerpt. Sheeran's purported private remarks and Kraft/stadium-owner coordination are presented as attributed accounts, not independently proven by this video. Full timestamped YouTube transcript reviewed; audio-level quotation check remains outstanding before publication.
Before the quotation
The segment beginning at 06:06 recounts Macklemore's performances, criticism, removal, and competing accounts from Macklemore, the promoter and Robert Kraft. At 12:50–13:09 DeFranco asks about possible reactions and boycotts. He introduces his own opinion at 13:10.
After the quotation
At 13:14–13:41 DeFranco criticizes the reported refusal to take sides and argues that conflating criticism of Israel's government with antisemitism can shield actual antisemitism. He then quotes Ms. Rachel at 13:43–13:52; her words and casualty figure are excluded from his quotation. His own commentary resumes at 13:53 with a comparison to venues hosting Kanye West.
How this statement is classified
The condemnation targets Sheeran's response and the exclusion of Macklemore, not Macklemore's original speech. DeFranco expressly voices disappointment and criticizes the reported refusal to take sides; his subsequent argument about conflation supports that evaluation. This substantive criticism is stronger than a characterization-only label. Ms. Rachel's embedded statement is not counted as his words.
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- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Ed Sheeran
More from this case
Read the full case“Ed Sheeran had an opportunity show that we won’t be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine.”Read statement
“this was incredibly courageous for him to do”Read statement
“Macklemore, in a moment where it matters the most, has consistently done the right thing.”Read statement