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Jack Antonoff, the Grammy-winning producer behind many of Taylor Swift’s biggest albums, said he has been saying “Free Palestine” at his concerts. He also faulted Ed Sheeran for keeping his tour going after Macklemore was dropped for saying the same phrase onstage.
Antonoff, who fronts the band Bleachers and is Jewish, made the comments in an interview with The Guardian published Sunday. He said the backlash against Macklemore had only made him more determined to keep using the phrase, which he sees as a humanitarian message.
The remarks pull the dispute closer to pop’s biggest star. Swift has worked with Antonoff for more than a decade and called him one of her best friends in April. She has not publicly talked about his comments.
What did Jack Antonoff say about ‘Free Palestine’ and Ed Sheeran?
Antonoff said Sheeran “missed a massive, beautiful opportunity.” In his view, Sheeran should have canceled his remaining shows and played for free outside each stadium, instead of letting a billionaire decide the outcome.
He said he wouldn’t accept those terms himself: “Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside.” Antonoff said he has been harassed online for using the phrase, and he argued that wealthy interests too often decide what artists can say.
Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s US tour over saying ‘Free Palestine’?
Macklemore opened two shows for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in early September. He said “Free Palestine” from the stage and performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song tied to pro-Palestinian protests.
The Israeli-American Council urged Sheeran to drop him. Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, cited concerns about antisemitism. Macklemore was cut from the remaining U.S. dates on Sept. 14, and Sheeran said the promoter, Messina Touring Group, made that call.
At a Sept. 19 concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran admitted mistakes in how he handled the fallout. He condemned the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and called the situation in Gaza unjustifiable and disproportionate.
Macklemore opened his own Free Palestine tour Monday in Dublin, with proceeds going to groups that support Palestinians. Jewish and pro-Israel groups have accused him of antisemitic rhetoric. He says his criticism targets the Israeli government, not Jewish people.
How close are Jack Antonoff and Taylor Swift?
Swift and Antonoff met in 2012 and first worked together in 2013. He has since worked on “1989,” “Reputation,” “Lover,” “Folklore,” “Midnights” and “The Tortured Poets Department,” along with her re-recorded albums.
His absence from “The Life of a Showgirl,” released in October 2025, fueled rumors of a falling-out. Swift addressed them in April in an interview with The New York Times Magazine, calling Antonoff a collaborator and one of her best friends.
What has Taylor Swift said about politics, and what hasn’t she?
Swift avoided politics for most of her early career and later said she regretted staying quiet. Since 2018, she has weighed in mostly on U.S. elections and civil rights:
- October 2018: She endorsed Democrats in Tennessee, including Phil Bredesen for Senate, and criticized Republican Marsha Blackburn, who won the race.
- June 2019: She urged then-Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., to back the Equality Act, a proposed LGBTQ anti-discrimination law. She also criticized then-President Donald Trump’s opposition to it.
- October 2020: She made her first presidential endorsement, backing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
- June 2022: She said she was terrified after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
- September 2024: She endorsed Harris and Tim Walz after Trump shared AI-generated images that falsely showed her support.
In August, Trump’s campaign and the White House used her songs in social media videos. The audio was later removed, and Swift did not comment.
Swift has not publicly addressed the war in Gaza or the Macklemore controversy. It wouldn’t be the first time her silence drew attention: she has faced questions repeatedly over the years about when she chooses to take a public stand.