I love a good ginger-on-ginger roast, especially when it targets rich pop stars who avoid taking a stance.
Hannah Einbinder, the bisexual star of Hacks and one of Hollywood’s most vocal supporters of Palestinian rights, took a direct swipe at Ed Sheeran on Instagram this week. She posted a screenshot of Sheeran’s estimated $400 million net worth and added a personal curse that only a fellow redhead could cook up.
“Ed Sheeran i say this as a ginger. i hope you get a REALLY bad sun burn the kind on the back of your entire body where it hurts to lie down or walk or sit,” Einbinder posted on her Instagram story.
She wasn’t just throwing shade at his bank account or his skin’s lack of melanin. Einbinder called out Sheeran after he dropped rapper Macklemore from the U.S. leg of his “Loop” tour.
The Tour Drama Unfolds
The drama started earlier this month when Macklemore performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his opening set, the rapper wore a keffiyeh, led “Free Palestine” chants, and performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall.”
The backlash was swift. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, banned Macklemore from the venue’s upcoming September dates, accusing him of using “hate speech.” Shortly after, tour promoter Messina Touring Group pulled Macklemore from the entire U.S. run, claiming multiple venues refused to host him.
Macklemore did not take the news quietly. In an Instagram post, he claimed Sheeran called him directly to explain that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum: drop Macklemore, or lose the venues entirely.
“Ed was in a fucked up position,” Macklemore wrote. “His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before… But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.'”
Sheeran released a statement defending himself, placing the responsibility on his promoter. “It was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote. He added that he wouldn’t abandon his touring crew and support staff by canceling the dates himself.
Hollywood Reacts to Sheeran’s Move
Sheeran’s attempt to stay neutral backfired. Opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, and Beoga all walked off the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Other celebrities quickly chimed in. Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel criticized Sheeran on Instagram, writing, “Ed Sheeran had an opportunity [to] show that we won’t be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine… Silence during a genocide is not neutral.”
Wicked star Marissa Bode posted a TikTok directed at the singer: “Ed Sheeran, my legs may not work like they used to before, but at least I have a fucking spine. Free Palestine, bitch!” Even Sen. Bernie Sanders weighed in, warning that billionaire stadium owners shouldn’t have the power to silence artists.
Damage Control and Donations
Macklemore turned the situation into an opportunity for relief work, announcing he would donate his $1 million net earnings from the tour to organizations supporting Palestinian aid. He also challenged Kraft to match the amount.
Hours later, Kraft released a statement on behalf of himself and Sheeran, claiming they would each donate $2 million toward humanitarian relief in the region.
Whether the cash match settles the score for fans remains to be seen, but Einbinder certainly made her feelings clear.
