Ed Sheeran threatens to quit music if he loses copyright trial

Ed Sheeran has said he will quit music if he loses his copyright trial.

The singer-songwriter is currently being sued for alleged copyright infringement over his song “Thinking Out Loud”.

It is claimed that Sheeran plagiarised elements of Marvin Gaye’s 1973 soul classic “Let’s Get it On”in his 2014 hit. Sheeran has denied the claims.

Speaking in Manhattan court on Monday (1 May), Sheeran reportedly said of a prospective guilty verdict (according to MailOnline): “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping.”

The singer-songwriter was addressing the toll that the court procedings had taken on him.

“I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it,” he added.

Last week, Kathryn Townsend Griffin, the woman currently suing Sheeran for plaigiarism, had to be carried out of court after suddenly collapsing.

Griffin is the daughter of songwriter Ed Townsend, who co-wrote Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On”.

Also during the trial, Sheeran began criticising his own guitar-playing skills, while explaining his songwriting process to the court.

The singer apologised to onlookers after accidentally bashing the mic with his hand, remarking: “I’m not the world’s most talented guitar player.”

Recently, Sheeran’s wife Cherry Seaborn revealed that the artist wrote seven songs in just four hours after she was diagnosed with cancer.

“Some people write a diary and get their emotions out through the pen and, for Eds, if something really intense happens, he’ll go and write a song,” she said.

Seaborn, 30, was diagnosed with a tumour in 2022, while she was pregnant with her and Sheeran’s second child. She has subsequently undergone surgery for the tumour and is recovering.