Melissa Barrera has aired support for Macklemore after the rapper was recently dropped from Ed Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ tour after making pro-Palestine comments.
Macklemore made an impassioned speech at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium while supporting Sheeran earlier this month, while also performing his protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ with footage from Gaza. This led to calls for him to be dropped, which he was, while the tour’s other support acts, including FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew in solidarity alongside Sheeran’s backing band.
Barrera, who was fired from Scream 7 in November 2023 after criticising the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, has now spoken about the controversy, questioning why she didn’t get the same treatment.
“It was so beautiful to see Finneas and the band and all the opening acts pulling out in support of Macklemore,” she said (via AP). “It made me emotional. You know, I didn’t get that when it happened to me. I didn’t have any of that happen. It was too soon. People were too scared. But it’s good to see that almost three years later, at least things have changed.
“When someone is attacked, and there are people behind being like, ‘We’re not gonna allow this,’ and the more that happens, the less that the people in power are going to try to censor it because eventually it’s not gonna work.
“I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Ed Sheeran had been like, ‘No,’ and called the bluff. I mean, it’s possible that he still would have had his shows cancelled, but I bet you that he could have rebooked those shows in other venues just as easily, and people would have rallied behind him.
“I wish that the people that have power understood the power that they have,” Barrera continued. “I think that the problem is that there’s a lot of people that actually have a lot of power.
“They think they don’t, and they’re operating out of fear, and it’s just a shame because, you know, we just saw what happened—the support that rallied behind Macklemore—and I think that’s a big step. I think that what we’re seeing, what we’re witnessing, is going to inspire real change, and I’m very hopeful about that.”
Scream 7 star Matthew Lillard recently expressed regret about appearing in the film after Barrera’s firing, telling a Q&A: “When they start coming after your job, sometimes things are worth it… When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up. But she was a year early on what the f***’s going on. But the whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”
He added: “I went back to do Scream, and I got called out. And I’m like, ‘Oh, f***. That’s brutal.’ I feel bad about that. I feel ashamed about that. Because in that moment I was so excited to go back, I didn’t really think about Melissa and that journey. I didn’t say no. I’m embarrassed; that’s the truth… I blew that. I’m on the wrong side of history for that. I still like being in the movie [but] it may not have been the best idea.”
| Ed getting emotional tonight on stage while thanking the crowd for the support
“I will never stop doing this.” pic.twitter.com/L9Mg9uVSrD
— Ed Sheeran Access (@AccessEdSheeran) September 20, 2026
Meanwhile, Sheeran addressed the Macklemore controversy in his first live show since the saga over the weekend (September 19), admitting “mistakes” and that he was left questioning whether he wanted “to be an artist at all”.
Macklemore has pledged to donate his entire $1million earnings from the tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians, while Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft – who said he found the rapper’s comments “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community” – said that Sheeran had asked him to match a $2million humanitarian contribution.
Sheeran has drawn criticism from a number of musicians over the handling of the situation, including Billy Bragg, Massive Attack and Roger Waters.
The post Melissa Barrera airs support for Macklemore but questions why she didn’t get the same when fired from ‘Scream’ appeared first on NME.
