Ed Sheeran's scripted, emotional statement on Israel and Gaza has landed badly, deepening a backlash that has already cost him opening acts, his backup band, and ticket sales.

• Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour after Macklemore said "free Palestine" on stage and called the war in Gaza a genocide.
• The pressure reportedly came from Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other stadium owners, who threatened to stop hosting the tour.
• Sheeran's other opening acts and his own backup band quit in protest, and tickets are now being sold at steep discounts.
• His teleprompter statement called October 7 horrific and Gaza "catastrophic and disproportionate," but he choked up mainly when the crowd cheered him, not over Gaza itself.
• Critics say a star worth hundreds of millions should have told the billionaires to find another venue instead of caving to them.

The wider point being made: America's cultural elite no longer feel any shame. LeBron James takes $15 million a year in cash to promote Polymarket, a rounding error on his fortune, while Sydney Sweeney, Rob Gronkowski, Kevin Hart and Spike Lee front for betting apps aimed at their most loyal and vulnerable fans. Kim Kardashian at least got fined and shamed for pushing crypto; today nothing similar happens.

Outlook: Sheeran's tour is likely to keep bleeding acts and ticket sales unless he takes a clear stand, and celebrity gambling endorsements will keep spreading with no social penalty.