Rosie O’Donnell used an appearance on Ireland’s “The Late Late Show” Friday to accuse singer Ed Sheeran of making a “very bad mistake” by siding against rapper Macklemore, who was removed from Sheeran’s U.S. tour after repeatedly voicing support for Palestinians during shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Asked by host Patrick Kielty about the controversy involving New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Sheeran and Macklemore, O’Donnell said Sheeran would eventually understand “the ramifications of siding with a billionaire elite, in supporting genocide rather than the people who are saying, ‘This is wrong. We will not stand for it. We are human beings and each human life matters and that’s what’s the most important thing.'”
She also took direct aim at Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium and founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. “Well, he’s part of the billionaire elite,” O’Donnell said. “Those are the most corrupt people in the United States right now. And they have sort of performed a coup on the American government. And it’s very tragic.”
How the dispute started
Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” after repeatedly saying “Free Palestine” and performing his song “Hind’s Hall” during New Jersey shows at MetLife Stadium. The rapper has said Kraft told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium and pressed other venue owners to exclude him from the rest of the tour. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said venues had informed them they would not allow concerts to proceed if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Kraft has defended the decision, pointing to what he called Macklemore’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery,” while saying the move was not meant to minimize Palestinian suffering. “Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive,” Kraft said.
Sheeran has pushed back on suggestions that he supports Palestinian suffering. At his first concert after the controversy erupted, held in Philadelphia, Sheeran condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack while also criticizing the scale of civilian deaths in Gaza. “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” he told the crowd, according to Fox News Digital reporting from the venue.
Sheeran pledged $2 million toward humanitarian relief and asked Kraft to match the contribution; Kraft agreed, citing decades of work supporting programs that bring Palestinians and Israelis together. Macklemore has separately pledged the $1 million he said he earned from the tour to Palestinian aid organizations.
Reaction to O’Donnell’s remarks
Nick Fondacaro, associate editor for NewsBusters, criticized O’Donnell’s comments, calling her an “unabashed 9/11-truther” and arguing her language was inflammatory. “It’s irresponsible and incendiary to claim a coup has taken place in America, especially when political violence is on the rise,” he said, adding that O’Donnell’s remark that Sheeran would “come to learn a lesson” sounded like “a warning or threat” given the killings of Charlie Kirk and Brian Thompson. Fondacaro also argued Kraft had the right to control who performs at his venue.
Christian Toto, host of “Hollywood in Toto,” said celebrities face pressure within the entertainment industry to take a single position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, comparing the dynamic to the industry’s response to Black Lives Matter. “There is only one acceptable answer for celebrities when it comes to the ongoing Israel/Palestinian conflict. Say ‘Free Palestine’ and nothing else,” Toto said. “Most artists know better than to alienate audiences with their political views. The Springsteens, Morellos and Macklemores remain the exception.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Kraft, Sheeran and Macklemore for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
