Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has reportedly lost more than 439,000 followers on his personal Instagram account in 30 days. The decline occurred amid controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore's removal from the Loop Tour lineup .
Macklemore was previously scheduled to perform at two of Ed Sheeran's concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. However, his appearance was later removed after the rapper voiced support for Palestine and performed the protest song "Hind's Hall" during his performance.
According to a Newsweek report on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Social Blade analytics data showed that Ed Sheeran's Instagram followers dropped by more than 248,000 following the announcement of Macklemore's removal from the lineup.
The decline occurred again on September 15, 2026. Ed Sheeran's Instagram account reportedly lost around 150 thousand followers in one day, then decreased by more than 98 thousand followers the following day.
This phenomenon has also caught the attention of Eric Schiffer, Chairman of Reputation Management Consultants. He believes the negative trend seen on social media could impact Ed Sheeran's public image.
"Ed Sheeran has been really careless in handling this controversy, and it could jeopardize his career," Schiffer told Newsweek. According to Schiffer, Ed Sheeran's decision to hire Macklemore as one of the performers in his concert series from the start has had certain consequences.
This is because Macklemore has been known to actively voice his support for Palestine for some time now. "He actually took a political stance from the start by recruiting Macklemore," Schiffer said.
Schiffer then advised Ed Sheeran not to prolong the controversy and to return to focusing on his musical activities. "The best thing Sheeran can do now is to stay quiet, completely distance himself from politics, and focus on singing," he concluded.
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