Bill Maher Renews Attack on Macklemore Over 2014 Costume as Tour Fallout Deepens

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 19

Friday’s “Real Time” episode saw Bill Maher intensify his criticism of Macklemore, reviving the rapper’s 2014 fake-nose “Jew” costume controversy after his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Sept. 19 concert lineup.
Maher tied that episode to Macklemore’s recent anti-Israel remarks, accusing him of repeating “lies” about Gaza and arguing concertgoers did not pay for political lectures.
Ed Sheeran’s tour has absorbed the immediate fallout: Macklemore said he was barred from performing at Gillette Stadium because owner Robert Kraft objected, while protests and fan backlash have mounted around the show.
$1 million in Palestinian aid from Macklemore and a $2 million Gaza donation from Kraft have widened the dispute beyond the lineup change, turning it into a broader public fight over Israel, celebrity activism and venue control.
Critics of Maher, including commentator Kaivan Shroff, said his attack was hypocritical because Maher himself is a celebrity commentator, while PR advisers said Sheeran now needs a fast, clear and final public stance.