On Thursday, Ed Sheeran's copyright trial over his song "Thinking Out Loud" ended with the jury finding him not guilty of plagiarizing parts of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On."
In a statement after his victory, however, Sheeran was not all smiles as he acknowledged not only the professional toll the the trial took on him but also the personal one.
Specifically, Sheeran had to miss his grandmother's funeral to show up in court.
He revealed:
"Having to be in New York for this trial has meant that I've missed being with my family at my grandmother's funeral in Ireland, and I will never get that time back."
"These trials take a significant toll on everyone involved."
You can watch below.
\u201cMusician Ed Sheeran delved into the emotional toll of his trial, explaining that because he had to be in New York, it meant missing being with his family for his grandmother\u2019s funeral in Ireland.\n\n\u201cI will never get that time back." https://t.co/8z33TN3o1f\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
The Daily Mail reported Sheeran's father addressed the singer's absence at the funeral:
"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."
"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."
His grandmother Anne "Nancy" Sheeran was the inspiration for his 2017 song "Nancy Mulligan."
Daily Mail reported the singer "is believed to have tuned in online" to virtually attend his grandmother's funeral.
Many on social media agreed with Sheeran's statement on the weight this trial must have carried, both professionally and personally.
\u201c@CNN Ed did NOT deserve to go through this process. He was innocent from the beginning. I hope this doesn't squelch his spirit on music writing. Best of luck Ed Sheeran.\ud83d\udc96\ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udc96\ud83c\udfb6Love your songs.\ud83d\udc96\ud83c\udfb6\ud83d\udc96\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN Being accused of something you didn\u2019t do is literally one of the worst experiences ever, especially when people accuse of precisely what they are doing. Literally traumatizing\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN @mint_n_orange It's a shame that he missed the funeral\u2026\ud83d\ude22\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN So sad he had to miss the funeral. Song sounds nothing alike\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN @rockstarronan This is so wrong. My heart goes out to him! Shame on whoever drummed up this false claim against him and caused him and his family mental pain and suffering. \ud83d\ude22\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN Sorry for his family\u2019s loss.\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
Many also agreed with the outcome of the trial.
\u201c@CNN I think this decision is fair.\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN That\u2019s great. Didn\u2019t want him to leave music\ud83d\udc9c\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN Should never have went to trial\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
\u201c@CNN Good. Shouldn't of even got to court \ud83d\ude44\u201d— CNN (@CNN) 1683225013
Sheeran finished his statement by thanking the jury "for making the decision that will help protect the creative process of songwriters here in the United States and all around the world." He also thanked his team who supported him "throughout this difficult process," musicians, fans and Amy Wadge, who co-wrote "Thinking Out Loud" with Sheeran.
He signed off:
"We need songwriters and the wider community to come together and bring back common sense."
"These claims need to be stopped so the creative process can carry on and we can all go back to making music."
"At the same time, we absolutely need trusted individuals, real experts who help support the process of protecting copyright."
"Thank you."
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