Melissa Barrera praises solidarity following Macklemore's tour removal

Actress Melissa Barrera has expressed her support for the musicians withdrawing from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore. Macklemore was removed from the tour following a performance at MetLife Stadium where he voiced support for Palestine, including the phrase “Free Palestine.”

In response to Macklemore’s removal, several supporting acts—including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and the band Beoga—as well as Sheeran’s backing band, have reportedly withdrawn from the tour. While Macklemore alleged that venue owners and promoters pressured the decision, Sheeran stated that the decision was made by tour promoters rather than himself.

Barrera drew parallels between this show of solidarity and her own experience in 2023, when she was dismissed from the “Scream” film franchise by Spyglass Media Group following social media posts regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Barrera noted that while she felt largely unsupported by her peers at the time, the current response from the music community was “beautiful” and suggested that industry attitudes toward political expression may be changing.