Ed Sheeran is “so upset” that he had to miss his 98-year-old grandmother’s funeral due to his ongoing copyright trial in New York.
The “Shape of You” singer’s father, John Sheeran, addressed his son’s absence during Anne “Nancy” Sheeran’s memorial service, which was held in Ireland on Wednesday.
“I am very sad that our son Edward is unable to be here today. 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,” he emotionally said during his eulogy, per the Daily Mail.
“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.”
The outlet reported that Ed was able to catch the service online.
The “Perfect” crooner, 32, is currently in a Manhattan court fighting against a copyright infringement lawsuit for allegedly ripping off parts of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” for his 2014 track “Thinking Out Loud.”
The family of “Let’s Get It On” co-writer Ed Townsend allege in the suit, which was filed in 2016, that the British singer-songwriter and others involved with his hit diamond-certified hit “copied the ‘heart’ of ‘Let’s’ and repeated it continuously throughout ‘Thinking.’”
Townsend’s daughter, Kathryn Townsend Griffin, said on April 25 that she was seeking “justice” for her late father, who died in 2003.
“I am here for justice protecting my father’s intellectual properties,” she said before entering the courthouse. “All I’m expecting is his name to be honored and his work and his legacy, and the fact that I want all artists’ intellectual properties protected by the individual who oversee our royalties.”
Ed has denied copying the 1973 soul classic, claiming that the songs may sound alike because he used the fundamental musical “building blocks,” which don’t fall under any copyright protections.
In fact, the four-time Grammy winner said that he will be “done” with music if he is found liable in this trial.
The jury must decide whether Ed is at fault for copyright infringement. If they rule against him, a second trial will be held to determine what monetary damages are owed to the Townsend family.
The copyright infringement trial remains ongoing.
