Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore is back in the global spotlight after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.

In September 2026, while opening for the “Shape of You” singer at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore criticized the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and stated, “Free Palestine.” He also performed his pro-Palestine song, “Hind’s Hall,” as footage from Gaza appeared on a big screen behind him.

Stadium owners, including billionaire Robert Kraft, soon issued Sheeran an ultimatum: remove Macklemore from the tour, or he would not be allowed to perform at the venues. As a result, the “Thrift Shop” rapper was dropped from the tour.

Since then, Macklemore and Sheeran have both shared statements online, prompting many fans and fellow celebrities to take sides. However, one person choosing to stay out of the situation is Sheeran’s longtime friend, Taylor Swift.

According to Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, Swift is “keeping her distance” from Sheeran amid the controversy. “Taylor wants no part of this,” a source told Naughty But Nice. “She loves Ed, but she is incredibly careful about what becomes attached to her name. She isn’t inheriting somebody else’s political controversy because they’re friends.”

Insiders clarified that the “Bad Blood” singer isn’t ending her friendship with Sheeran or “turning against” him, saying, “It’s Taylor protecting Taylor. She knows one text, one photograph, one comment can become an international headline.”

“Taylor still loves Ed,” the source continued. “But she knows when someone else’s fire is burning, you don’t stand close enough to get scorched.”

Swift and Sheeran have been close friends since 2012, and over the years, they have gone on tour together and even collaborated on hit songs like “Everything Has Changed, “End Game,” “The Joker and the Queen,” and “Run.”

The billionaire pop star has even gushed about Sheeran publicly, calling him “one of my absolute favorite people on the planet” during an October 2025 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She went on to say that he’s “like family” to her-but it seems this family might need a little space from each other.