Macklemore challenged Bob Kraft to match his $1 million donation to Palestinian relief efforts. Getty Images Will Robert Kraft and Macklemore meet next?
Days after the billionaire Patriots owner banned the hip hop artist from his Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. for the rapper’s “Free Palestine” speech on Ed Sheeran‘s current tour — Kraft pledged $2 million to Palestinian relief efforts yesterday, saying Ed Sheeran personally called on him to do so.
Kraft said after Macklemore publicly called on him to match the rapper’s own $1 million donation, “Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis… Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.”
Kraft, followed by other stadium owners, previously said that Macklemore would not be welcome at the home of the Patriots due to his comments on Palestine — and Macklemore then left Sheeran’s tour followed by a stream of other opening acts and Sheeran’s own band in solidarity.
In Kraft’s initial statement on the Macklemore controversy, he said he’d want to sit down with him. Music sources familiar to the situation say that Macklemore has so far not responded to the public invite — but that Kraft really does want to meet with him. (We reached out to reps for comment.)
Macklemore was also banned at stadiums in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Dallas and Tampa. Another source said “that wasn’t pushed by Robert. They were all thinking that and got together.”
A source also huffed of Sheeran’s band bailing: “Ed could go onstage with an acoustic guitar and it would be a sell out.”
