Singer Aaron Rowe Defends Ed Sheeran After Dropping Out of Tour: ‘It Was Human F—ing Error’

Aaron Rowe, a former supporting act on Ed Sheeran's tour, has released a passionate Instagram video defending the singer. In the clip, posted Friday, Rowe argued that critics are directing their anger at the wrong target. "I think you are all focusing on the wrong person here," he said. "All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that. When you really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft."

Kraft, the 83-year-old billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, has long been a major financial backer of pro-Israel causes. His foundation ran a high-profile Super Bowl ad campaign against antisemitism in 2024. Rowe urged viewers to instead scrutinize figures like Kraft and the Zionist lobbying networks he mentioned. "You really should be focusing on the Zionist lobbies that are trying to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide, the genocide that is happening in Palestine right now by Israel," Rowe stated.

While Rowe acknowledged that Sheeran's initial comments on the conflict were lacking, he blamed Macklemore's removal on hasty decision-making rather than malice. "I know Ed's statement could have been a lot better, and I do think that Macklemore shouldn't have been pulled off the tour," Rowe said. "I fully believe it was panic station over there, and they rushed the decision because they didn't know what to fucking do because they were getting it from all angles. That's a mistake." He added that although he hasn't spoken extensively with Sheeran, he believes the singer recognizes the error. Industry watchers note that swift tour lineup changes frequently result from simultaneous pressure from management, sponsors, and public opinion, leaving little time for careful consideration.

Rowe pointed to the tour's supporting lineup as evidence of Sheeran's pro-Palestine leanings. "Look who's on the fucking lineup, yeah? Beoga, the most pro-Palestine group out there…. fully pro-Palestine, fucking Macklemore. Need I say more? Me, everyone knows my fucking stance on Palestine," he said. "Like, if Ed Sheeran was a fucking Zionist, why would he have all these fucking people on the fucking tour? It was human fucking error." Beoga, the Irish folk band that collaborated with Sheeran on songs like "Galway Girl," has publicly expressed solidarity with Palestine on several occasions.

The video emerges amid ongoing fallout from Macklemore's departure, which also led fellow opener Finneas to leave in solidarity. Rowe, who previously credited Sheeran with having "changed my life," reiterated that sentiment. "I know Ed Sheeran has done so much for so many fucking people, including artists like me, who he's literally changed their entire lives. All he has inside of him is kindness. That is who Ed Sheeran is. And yes, like every other human being, he makes fucking mistakes." Closing his message, Rowe urged critics to redirect their frustration: "You should be using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft's face everywhere. Someone who tried to shut down free speech. Someone who tried to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide. That's what you should be using your energy on, not fucking Ed Sheeran, for fuck's sake."