Reports that he attended JK Rowling’s New Year’s Eve party were “polarizing and damaging”.
What do Ed Sheeran and JK Rowling have to do with each other? If the singer has his way, preferably nothing at all.
False statements in the British press
Ed Sheeran took a stand in his Instagram story; The post can still be seen as a screenshot on his X account (formerly Twitter). British media had previously reported that he performed for wounded soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and attended the controversial “Harry Potter” author’s New Year’s Eve party. Television journalist India Willoughby prominently shared the rumors. “With all due respect to India Willoughby and all the other journalists who have reported on these two stories, neither of them is true,” the musician clarified.
“This type of reporting is polarizing and damaging”
“I spent New Year’s Eve with my family and friends,” Ed Sheeran said. “The story about the wounded soldiers at one of my shows seems to be related to a charity foundation that provided tickets for my concert in Cyprus. That was a huge public appearance.” The short statement ends with a clear request: “This type of reporting is polarizing and damaging. Please do your research before posting things.”
India Willoughby apologizes
India Willoughby, who currently hosts “Good Morning Britain” on ITV, responded to the X repost of the Instagram story. “I’m glad Ed wasn’t at JKR’s party,” she wrote. “I also wrote ‘According to reports’ because the right-wing trash papers that many people love and believe in have reported it.” She had written to Ed Sheeran privately in advance, but received no response. She is still a fan.
Willoughby also referred to the public interest in the situation – JK Rowling has been controversial for years. In recent years she has made transphobic comments several times and expressed her approval of right-wing positions and people. Many celebrities have already denied any association with her – even parts of the “Harry Potter” film cast have distanced themselves from the writer. Willoughby, who plays an important role as the world’s first trans news anchor for the LGBTQ+ community, feels it is her duty to report on the issue.
Ed Sheeran: New album is ready
It suits him that Ed Sheeran was able to clarify the allegations. The pop musician has a new album in the box. After the albums – (SUBTRACT) and AUTUMN VARIATIONS were released in 2023 and the Christmas song “Under The Tree” in 2024, a new work is due for 2025 – according to recent reports, “beginning of 2025” will be “a big promo campaign” including two new music videos start. However, the singer has not yet revealed the title or release date.