Javier Bardem has shared posts promoting a petition calling for Pink to be removed from her role as a UNICEF ambassador, escalating a growing dispute over the singer’s response to Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian comments during Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
The No Country For Old Men actor shared several posts about the Change.org petition to his Instagram Stories on Monday 21 September 2026, encouraging his followers to support the campaign.
The petition, which was launched on September 11, had passed 160,000 verified signatures by September 22, according to its Change.org page.
Why is Javier Bardem supporting the petition against Pink?
The campaign follows criticism of Pink after she shared a post from the StopAntisemitism account concerning Macklemore’s appearance on Sheeran’s tour.
Macklemore had performed during the September 4 and 5 shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he voiced support for Palestinians, wore a keffiyeh and performed his song “Hind’s Hall”.
He also told the audience that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten.
Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour. Sheeran has said the decision was made by tour organisers and venue owners rather than by him. Several other artists and musicians subsequently left the tour.
Pink shared a post from StopAntisemitism that criticised Macklemore’s comments and described his remarks as anti-Israel propaganda.
The singer subsequently faced criticism from people who disagreed with her response.
What did Pink say about Macklemore?
The StopAntisemitism post shared by Pink criticised Macklemore’s performance and objected to the political content being brought into a mainstream concert.
It stated:
“Awful, Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing last night in NJ, not to be ambushed by Macklemore’s anti-Israel propaganda. Instead, Macklemore walked onstage in a keffiyeh, shouted ‘Free Palestine’, accused Israel of a false ‘genocide’, and turned a mainstream event into a political nightmare against the Jewish state.”
Pink also shared memes in response to the criticism directed at her, including one that said:
“Being liked by everyone is a clown’s job.”
The dispute has since expanded beyond the original disagreement between artists, with the Change.org campaign specifically focusing on Pink’s UNICEF role.
What does the petition against Pink say?
The petition, titled “Remove Pink as a UNICEF Ambassador”, argues that Pink’s recent public comments conflict with what its organisers believe should be expected from a UNICEF ambassador.
The campaign states:
“Pink’s recent comments are not just unfortunate but also incompatible with the role of a UNICEF Ambassador, an individual expected to promote peace, understanding, and humanitarian values above personal biases.”
It continues:
“UNICEF’s mission is to uphold the rights and dignity of all children, regardless of political affiliations or geographic boundaries. We rely on ambassadors to be torchbearers of these principles, fostering inclusive dialogue and meaningful support.”
The petition calls on UNICEF to take what its organisers describe as “decisive action” and remove Pink from her ambassador role.
The campaign is organised through Change.org and does not represent an announcement by UNICEF.
How many people have signed the petition?
The number of signatures has risen rapidly since the petition was launched on September 11.
It had collected more than 60,000 verified signatures by September 17, according to Anadolu Agency. By September 20, reports put the total at around 138,000, while the petition had passed 150,000 on September 21. Change.org’s live page subsequently showed more than 163,000 verified signatures.
The total is therefore continuing to change as the campaign remains active.
Is Pink still a UNICEF ambassador?
Pink has previously held a UNICEF ambassador role. UNICEF-related material has identified her as a UNICEF ambassador, including a 2022 UNICEF Greece release that listed her among the organisation’s global and national ambassadors.
However, UNICEF’s current global Goodwill Ambassadors page does not list Pink among its current global ambassadors. The roster currently includes figures such as David Beckham, Shakira, Ricky Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and Lamine Yamal.
That distinction is important because the current petition describes Pink as a UNICEF ambassador, while UNICEF’s present global roster does not establish whether she currently holds an active global Goodwill Ambassador appointment.
There has been no announcement in the material reviewed that UNICEF has removed Pink because of the petition.
What happened between Pink and Macklemore?
The dispute is part of the wider fallout from Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
Macklemore’s September performances included explicit support for Palestinians and criticism of Israeli government actions. His removal prompted Sheeran’s other opening acts, including Finneas and Lukas Graham, to leave the tour in solidarity.
Sheeran later addressed the controversy from the stage, saying that the decision to remove Macklemore was not his.
The episode has since drawn reactions from musicians and other public figures on different sides of the debate, with the disagreement extending to questions about political expression at concerts, artists’ public advocacy and the responsibilities attached to celebrity ambassador roles.
What happens next for Pink and UNICEF?
The petition remains open and continues to attract signatures, but signing a Change.org petition does not itself remove an ambassador from their role.
At the time of publication, there is no verified announcement that UNICEF has taken action against Pink in response to the campaign.
Bardem’s decision to share the petition adds another prominent entertainment figure to the controversy, while Pink’s original comments and Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour remain at the centre of the dispute.
