Ed Sheeran’s cousin Jethro has hit out at the singer amid the whole furore over Macklemore and claims he has seen him behave like a “lying coward” for a decade now
Ed Sheeran’s cousin Jethro has hit out at the singer and claimed he has seen him “being a lying coward” before.
In recent days, the singer, 35, saw all of his support acts for his current tour drop out of the remaining dates after Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, was removed from the line-up over comments he made about Gaza.
But Ed, best known for hits like Shape of You and Castle on the Hill, has flat out refused to comment on the situation or make his own political beliefs known and opted to continue with his global jaunt, although he did deny having any personal involvement in Macklemore’s removal from the tour. During one of his most recent shows, Ed broke down on stage and claimed that his loved ones had “abandoned” him amid the furore.
Now, Ed’s cousin Jethro, who is known professionally as Alonestar and works as a musician and record producer, has hit out at the A-Team singer, claiming that he has seen him be a “coward” and dishonest over the course of the last decade.
He said: “I’m Jethro Sheeran, he’s Edward Sheeran . We’re both Sheerans, we’re cousins . Seeing what he did to Macklemore, I believe that he kicked him off that show, as I’ve witnessed him being a coward for almost 10 years and lying .”
When host Piers Morgan suggested that it comes across as if he does indeed have disdain towards his cousin, Jethro insisted there was no jealousy towards him and just wishes him all the best despite the situation.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he added: “He’s very talented and people think I’m jealous, but jealous of what ? His looks, his guitar ? I mean, I don’t hate him at all . I wish him the best and I really…”
When he made his return to the stage on Saturday, Ed acknowleged the situation by telling the crowd that it had been “one of the worst weeks of [his] life.”
Becoming visibly emotional, he added: “Today has been one of the weirdest days of my life. Tonight has been honestly the best show of my life, the best show.
“I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. I really didn’t know whether I’d even be getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week.”
Though Ed’s wife, Cherry, and his parents are standing by him, Jethro previously spoke out against him, saying: “I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed. He’s a coward.”
In Ed’s statement, posted to social media, he said: “I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.”
But there have been multiple instances in the past where Sheeran has taken a political stance, using his platform and his music to do so. In March 2022, he publicly backed Ukraine after the Russian invasion and performed at Concert for Ukraine, a charity concert raising money for humanitarian aid in the area.
At the time, he said: “I just wanted to say to all Ukrainians, I love you, I stand with you, and I’m so proud to be playing this fundraising event next week.”
He also took part in the Beautiful Resistance campaign in 2019, which was coordinated by Love Music Hate Racism and aimed to challenge racism in the UK. Two years later, Sheeran signed an open letter to the US Senate, urging them to pass the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQIA people from discrimination.
The Mirror has contacted Ed Sheeran’s representatives for comment
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