Fact Check: Did Macklemore once perform in Jewish costume with antisemitic tropes?
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amid the controversy surrounding the removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour for his pro-Palestine remark, a rumor began circulating online claiming that the American rapper once performed in a Jewish costume with antisemitic tropes. The claim has sparked criticism and speculation, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Macklemore once performed in Jewish costume with antisemitic tropes
Following his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour this month, a rumor spread online claiming that Macklemore once performed in a Jewish caricature costume featuring antisemitic tropes.
The claim appeared on multiple social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and X, garnering hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing.
The claim was also shared by an X account that appears to belong to Jewish actor Josh Malina, who captioned the post as “Nah. Don't defend this guy."
Malina’s post includes photographs of a man, likely Macklemore, wearing a fake black beard and bowl-cut wig, along with an exaggeratedly large hooked nose.
The man also wears black trousers and a jacket, similar to the suit some Orthodox Jewish men wear, and in one image, he makes a gesture similar to a Nazi salute.
Fact Check: Macklemore did appear in the costume
The claim is indeed true, and the photos that accompanied the post are authentic. Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, performed in this costume at the opening night of an exhibition titled 'Spectacle: The Music Video' at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle in May 2014.
This can be confirmed, as photos of the performance appeared on Getty Images, including two of the photos posted by Malina, and there is also a video of the performance posted around the same time on YouTube.
However, it is unclear whether he intentionally made a gesture resembling a Nazi salute. Three days later, Macklemore apologised on his website, explaining his costume choice.
Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran's tour over 'Free Palestine' remark
Macklemore was removed from the rest of Sheeran’s stadium tour after an on-stage statement calling for a “free Palestine,” with several supporting acts withdrawing from the English singer's tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,’” he said.
