Musician Macklemore once performed in a Jewish caricature costume that featured antisemitic tropes.
In May 2014, Macklemore performed in a costume that featured several antisemitic tropes: a very large hooked nose, a fake black beard and a black, bowl-cut wig reminiscent of a kippah — a Jewish skullcap. His outfit also resembled the suits some Orthodox Jewish men wear. After experts and Jewish people online pointed out the tropes, Macklemore said in a lengthy post on his website that he did not realize his choice of costume evoked antisemitic imagery and apologized, linking to the Anti-Defamation League’s website. The ADL reportedly welcomed Macklemore’s apology and took him “at his word that he did not have any ill intent.”
Following the removal of musician Macklemore as an opening act on singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s tour in September 2026, a rumor spread online claiming Macklemore once performed in an Jewish caricature costume featuring antisemitic tropes. The cancellation of Macklemore’s performances came after he advocated for Palestinian freedom during a concert.
The claim appeared across social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook and X. Actor Josh Malina, who is Jewish, wrote on X, “Nah. Don’t defend this guy” (archived):
Malina also shared photographs of a man, presumably Macklemore, in an obviously fake black beard and wig in a bowl cut, as well as an exaggeratedly large hooked nose. The man also wore black trousers and a black jacket, reminiscent of suits some Orthodox Jewish men wear. In one of the images, the man made a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Meanwhile, several Snopes readers emailed us and searched the website seeking to confirm whether Macklemore had once performed in such a costume.
The claim is true and the photos are authentic. On May 16, 2014, Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, performed in this costume at the opening night of an exhibition titled “Spectacle: The Music Video,” at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. (The museum was then known as the EMP Museum.)
While Macklemore was photographed with his arm up while wearing the costume, it’s unclear whether he intentionally made a gesture resembling a Nazi salute, as posts suggested.
Macklemore posted on his website three days later, explaining his costume choice and apologizing.
We reached out to Macklemore for comment on the fact that the photos of his costume resurfaced. We also contacted the Anti-Defamation League, an organization dedicated to fighting antisemitism and extremism, and Malina. We await their responses.
The costume’s antisemitic references
Many photos of Macklemore’s performance and costume that day appeared on the reputable image repository Getty Images, including two of the photographs Malina posted.
We also found a video of the performance posted on May 21, 2014.
The costume harkens back to some of the most virulent antisemitic tropes in history. One example is appeared in 1893 on the cover of a notorious antisemitic newpaper in France known as La Libre Parole Illustrée, the illustrated supplement of La Libre Parole:
(Albert Esnault, La Libre Parole Illustrée, via Wikimedia Commons)
The newspaper bears the tagline “La France aux França
The 19th-century image shows a hand-drawn black-and-white caricature of a man with a torn coat and pockets full of money. The man is gripping the planet with claws growing out his fingers and toes as coins fall out and bills gather in his hands and between his toes. He is wearing a hat reminiscent of the Jewish skullcap — a kippah — and a black beard. He has a large hooked nose and is smiling. The caption reads “leur patrie” (“their fatherland” in French).
The caricature plays on racist stereotypes that Jews do not belong to any country and are loyal only to the global Jewish community (this was before the foundation of Israel in 1948). It also reinforces the prejudicial stereotype that Jews are greedy, appearing poor but secretly rich.
A more recent caricature known as the “Happy Merchant” appeared in the U.S. far-right antisemitic newspaper WAR (White Aryan Resistance) in 1992. The image, attributed to cartoonist Nick Bougas, shows a man with black hair and beard with a hooked nose, a humped back and a seemingly evil smile. He is wearing a kippah and rubbing his hands, as if he were plotting:
(A. Wyatt Mann (Nick Bougas), in WAR newspaper.)
Macklemore apologizes
In his explanation for his choice of costume, Macklemore said he loved to wear costumes and the costume store “usually” sold large noses. He said he chose black hair because it was “the furthest color from my natural hair,” adding he wanted to be unrecognizable.
He said some people told him he looked like The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, while others said he resembled former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
“I wasn’t attempting to mimic any culture, nor resemble one,” the singer wrote. “A ‘Jewish stereotype’ never crossed my mind.”
Macklemore ended his post with an apology. “I truly apologize to anybody that I may have offended,” he said. “I hope this better explains the situation and my point of view.”
He added a post-scriptum linking to the website of the ADL, which offers educational material about such tropes.
In response, the ADL reportedly accepted Macklemore’s apology, according to The Guardian.
“We welcome Macklemore’s apology for wearing a costume that, regardless of his motives, reminded many people of an antisemitic caricature,” The Guardian quoted ADL director Abe Foxman as saying. “We take him at his word that he did not have any ill intent and unreservedly accept his apology.”
For further reading, Snopes verified in 2023 that Macklemore had posted about the “unfolding genocide” in Gaza. In the same post, the singer called Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that resulted in the death of 1,200 people an “abomination.”
