Spanish actor Javier Bardem backed an online petition calling on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to end US singer Pink’s role as a goodwill ambassador, extending a controversy that followed US rapper Macklemore’s declaration of support for Palestine while taking part in the US leg of British singer Ed Sheeran’s tour.
Bardem promotes petition against Pink
On Monday 21 September, Bardem reposted several posts to the Stories feature on his Instagram account, urging his followers to sign the petition published on the Change platform. The Spanish actor did not launch the campaign himself, but joined an existing petition and gave it additional exposure by sharing the call to sign it.
The petition organisers are calling on UNICEF to end Pink’s role as the organisation’s ambassador, arguing that her position in the controversy involving Macklemore is inconsistent with the responsibilities they believe come with representing the organisation and defending children without discrimination. The campaign followed Pink’s reposting of material criticising Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian message.
Macklemore declares support for Palestine during Sheeran tour
The crisis began on 4 and 5 September, when Macklemore performed at Ed Sheeran’s concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The rapper addressed Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, chanting “Free Palestine” from the stage.
In a subsequent appearance, Macklemore explained that criticising Israel did not mean criticising Jews, saying his position was based on calling for peace, dignity and equality for all people. His participation nevertheless prompted objections that ended with his removal from the remaining dates on the US leg of Sheeran’s tour.
Ed Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was not his own, explaining that some of the venues due to host the concerts had refused to allow Macklemore to remain among the participants. He added that he had tried to find a solution that would allow the singer to continue appearing on the tour, but those efforts did not lead to his continued participation. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, was among those who objected to Macklemore’s participation and accused him of antisemitism.
The rapper denies the accusations, stressing that his criticism of Israeli policies does not target Jews. The decision to remove him covered eight remaining concerts on Ed Sheeran’s US tour. Hours after the removal was announced, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud publicly invited Macklemore to perform at a free concert sponsored by the city.
If they do not want you performing in their stadiums, you are always welcome in Dearborn
The controversy spreads from stadiums to Gaza
The singer’s position also resonated in Gaza, where two Palestinian artists painted his image among the rubble, raising his fist and wrapped in the Palestinian flag, to express their appreciation for his stance. Pink entered the controversy after reposting on her Instagram account material from the Stop Antisemitism account that criticised Macklemore’s appearance at Sheeran’s concert and described his message on stage as “anti-Israel propaganda”.
The repost drew criticism of Pink, who has served for years as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador. Pink later clarified her position, saying that the words in the material she shared were not hers and that the repost did not accurately reflect her position as a whole.
She also stressed that her objection was not simply to Macklemore’s use of the phrase “Free Palestine”. Following these clarifications, the petition organisers continued calling on UNICEF to end Pink’s role, before Bardem joined those supporting the petition and urged his followers to sign it. The petition remains open to those wishing to add their names, and UNICEF had not announced the end of the singer’s role as its ambassador by the morning of 24 September.
Bardem’s previous positions on Palestinians
Backing the campaign is not Bardem’s first public stance on Palestinians. At the Emmy Awards ceremony in September 2025, the Spanish actor appeared wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh and told journalists that sanctions and trade and diplomatic measures should be imposed on Israel, ending his remarks with the phrase “Free Palestine”.
Bardem continued to express his views at various film and artistic events, linking artists’ use of their public platforms in his statements to their positions on the war in Gaza.
His support for the petition calling for Pink’s role at UNICEF to end comes within the context of those positions, which he had previously stated directly.
