Singer Ed Sheeran is currently embroiled in a plagiarism trial involving Marvin Gaye’s estate.
The stress of this legal battle has apparently taken a toll on Sheeran’s personal life, as he was recently forced to miss his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland.
According to The Daily Mail, Sheeran’s grandmother, Anne “Nancy” Sheeran, who inspired his song “Nancy Mulligan,” recently passed away at the age of 98.
Although the funeral was held on May 3, Sheeran was unable to attend due to his ongoing legal proceedings in the United States.
In his eulogy, Sheeran’s father John expressed his sadness about his son’s absence, saying, “He’s so upset that he cannot be present — he has to be thousands of miles away in a court in America defending his integrity.”
Despite his absence, Sheeran was able to connect with his grandmother shortly before her passing.
John added, “I know he is comforted by the fact that he was able to spend some precious time alone with his grandma just a month ago.”
However, the fact that he was unable to attend the funeral in person has reportedly left Sheeran devastated.
A source close to the singer shared with The Sun, “Ed and his grandmother had a special bond, and he was devastated to miss her funeral. But there was no way he could have got there without a private jet, and he didn’t think it was appropriate.”
Although he couldn’t physically be there, Sheeran was reportedly able to watch the funeral ceremony via livestream.
Despite this, the experience has no doubt added to the stress of the ongoing Marvin Gaye trial.
The trial, which centers around allegations that Sheeran’s hit song “Thinking Out Loud” plagiarizes Gaye’s classic “Let’s Get It On,” has Sheeran considering leaving music behind altogether.
In a recent interview with BBC, Sheeran shared his thoughts on the trial, saying, “I do think it’s a dangerous precedent to set for music if this is a thing that happens a lot. People making songs inspired by other songs is… part of the creative process. It’s just how music works.”
The outcome of the trial remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it seems that Sheeran is dealing with a great deal of stress both personally and professionally.
