British singer Ed Sheeran has denied allegations that he performed for wounded Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers and that he attended a New Year’s Eve party hosted by author JK Rowling.
In an Instagram story, Sheeran responded to claims made by British broadcaster India Willoughby, who shared a headline stating, “How Ed Sheeran brought joy to wounded IDF soldiers,” along with suggestions that he was at Rowling’s celebration.
Sheeran stated, “Respectfully, India Willoughby and any other journalist who has reported both these stories, neither is true.”
The Shape of You artist clarified that he spent New Year’s Eve with family and friends. Concerning the IDF performance claims, he explained that a charity sourced tickets to his concert in Cyprus last year, which was a large public event attended by a record crowd of 45,000.
Sheeran criticised the reporting as “divisive” and urged journalists to verify information before posting.
The Jerusalem Post corroborated his account, noting that 180 IDF soldiers were invited to the Cyprus concert by the Israeli charity OneFamily.
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Following Sheeran’s rebuttal, Willoughby expressed her delight at the news, stating she had used the term “reportedly” based on various media reports at the time.
She maintained that she had reached out to Sheeran for clarification earlier in January but received no response.
