SEATTLE — Seattle-born music artist Macklemore responded Wednesday to criticism after a viral video on social media showed him stating the words "F--- America" onstage.
"My thoughts and feelings are not always expressed perfectly or politely," Macklemore, 41, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, wrote in an Instagram post. "Sometimes I slip up and get caught in the moment. Saturday night was one of those times."
The video was taken at a charity music event at Seattle's Seward Park over the weekend called Palestine Will Live Forever, benefiting pro-Palestinian organizations.
Macklemore went on to say in his statement that he has been "disillusioned and disheartened" at the U.S. government's funding of the war in Gaza and how the conflict has unfolded.
"I wish I had been in a better place with my grief and anger," Macklemore said. "But the truth is I'm not OK. I haven't been."
On Tuesday, organizers of the Neon City Festival in Las Vegas announced he would no longer be one of their headlining performers due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Many in Washington’s Jewish community are reacting and telling us they are hurt by his words.
"There’s a lot of people who are simply disgusted," said Randy Kessler, the regional director of Stand With Us Northwest, a nonprofit organization. The group's mission is to support Israel and fight antisemitism.
Ari Hoffman, a vocal leader in the Jewish community who also serves as the president of Seattle synagogue BCHM, told KING 5 Tuesday, "A lot of people on my social media are saying, 'Deleted him from my playlist. Gone, done.'”
Some are now urging local sports teams to take action.
"What we'd like to see, frankly, is for the Mariners to stop using his song as the seventh-inning stretch song. Go back to 'Louie, Louie,' which was very popular, which everyone would enjoy," said Kessler.
Hoffman echoed that sentiment.
"They want sports to be a unifying factor," said Hoffman.
Macklemore is a minority owner of the Seattle Kraken and Sounders FC, and the two teams released a joint statement reading, "We are aware of Macklemore’s increasingly divisive comments, and they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, leagues, or organizations. We are currently evaluating our collective options on this matter."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), however, emphasized Macklemore’s right to free speech. They told KING 5 Tuesday, "Speaking up against the genocide in Gaza is held to a different standard than speaking out on other topics in our country. Macklemore's comments are illustrative of our government’s open and ongoing complicity in this human rights catastrophe."
Kessler sees it differently.
"What I think, really, Macklemore should understand is the damage that his words do to the Jewish community while trying to help the Palestinians," Kessler said.
Many in the community also told KING 5 they were offended that he’d make such a comment in the same Seattle neighborhood that has the biggest Jewish population.
KING 5's request for comment from the Mariners, who routinely play his song "Can't Hold Us" at the ballpark, has yet to be returned as of this publishing date.
Macklemore denied that he was communicating "hate" with his comments, claiming he was angry but that wasn't meant to be directed toward American citizens.
"It's different to be angry than to disown," Macklemore said. "My 'f---' – my anger – is not rooted in disdain for where I was born but in anguish for how we can collectively allow this to continue."