(Image: Matt Crossick/PA Wire)
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence after facing fierce public criticism from a family member.
The global pop star, who was born in Halifax, addressed comments made by his estranged cousin Jethro, who recently called him "selfish," "malicious," and "cunning" in a lengthy Instagram post.
Mr Sheeran said: "I haven’t spoken to this family member in a very long time.
"You might have seen [him] recently on social media."
The remarks were made during a concert in Atlanta, though Mr Sheeran did not name his cousin directly.
What did his cousin say?
Jethro has since appeared on Don Lemon’s show and Piers Morgan Uncensored, where he continued to criticise the singer and insisted he was not motivated by jealousy.
He said: "I witnessed him being a coward for almost 10 years and lying."
The feud comes amid wider controversy surrounding Mr Sheeran’s decision to drop Macklemore as the opener for his tour.
The move followed a pro-Palestine speech by the rapper during a previous performance.
Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, and other venue owners reportedly threatened to cancel Mr Sheeran’s show unless Macklemore was removed from the lineup.
Macklemore has since launched his own mini "Free Palestine" tour, which has already sold out, while Mr Sheeran has faced criticism for not publicly supporting his friend.
All other support acts and the tour band have pulled out in solidarity with Macklemore and the Palestinian cause.
Amelia Dimoldenberg's Ed Sheeran jibe
Meanwhile, comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg took aim at Mr Sheeran during a recent episode of SNL UK.
Ms Dimoldenberg said: "I’ve been incredibly privileged to have done so many interviews with people like Idris Elba, Cher, and even a world-famous redheaded puppet with a hand up his a** e telling him what to say."
A photo of Elmo appeared behind her, before she delivered the punchline: "No, the other one," as an image of Mr Sheeran flashed on screen.
The singer is currently continuing his tour without any opening acts.