Stormzy did not delete an Instagram post in support of Palestinian liberation because of his recent collaboration with McDonald's, sources close to the rapper have told Sky News.
The 31-year-old grime artist has faced a backlash for removing an old post that said "Free Palestine" after working on a campaign with the fast-food chain.
But sources close to the Vossi Bop rapper exclusively told Sky News that it "is simply not true" that the "archiving" of his Instagram post and the release of the McDonald's campaign are linked.
Stormzy's recent McDonald's partnership packages his "go-to" order as a limited meal option, which the chain has dubbed "The Stormzy Meal" - containing chicken nuggets, fries, BBQ sauce, a Sprite drink, and an Oreo McFlurry.
Critics of Israel called for a global boycott of McDonald's last year, when McDonald's Israel announced it donated thousands of free meals to Israel Defence Forces troops fighting in Gaza.
The campaign, led by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, dented sales at McDonald's.
The deletion of Stormzy's "Free Palestine" post was part of a "mass archiving effort" last year, the sources close to him add.
They said it was "categorically not" linked to his involvement with McDonald's.
Sky News has contacted McDonald's for comment.
The now-removed Instagram post read: "I hope everyone is good, some fleeting thoughts.
"1. Free Palestine
"2. In the future, if there is ever a clear injustice in the world, no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will be on the side of the oppressed. Unequivocally. As I always have been. Social media is a brilliant way to stand up for what is right, there are also a whole load of other ways to do this."
After the post was deleted, many of Stormzy's fans shared that they were "disappointed" by the rapper's "hypocrisy".
One person on X criticised Stormzy's McDonald's campaign, writing it was done "for a bit of money that you don't even need". They added: "You deleted this post to do a McDonald's commercial."
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS movement, said: "Stormzy's call for Palestinian freedom in the early stages of Israel's genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, when few artists were speaking out, displayed a clear stance in support of all oppressed people."
But it added: "Partnering with corporations that are implicated in genocide, apartheid and military occupation can only whitewash those crimes."
In an open letter to Stormzy, the Peace and Justice Project - founded by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in 2021 - also said his work with McDonald's is "hugely disappointing, especially given the musician's otherwise proud and solid record in supporting great causes and campaigns for social justice".
The group added: "We are therefore asking Stormzy to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their hour of need and respect the BDS committee's call for a global boycott of McDonald's by ending his new partnership with them."
Much of Gaza lies in ruins after Israel's war to destroy Hamas.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
At least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage when Hamas launched its massacre in Israel on 7 October 2023.
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Stormzy has previously supported several social justice issues - including launching a scholarship to help Black students access top universities and dedicating his Brit Award performance in 2018 to the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
His Instagram biography tags pro-Palestine rapper Lowkey - inviting fans to click on his account and learn about activists' calls for Palestinian liberation.
(c) Sky News 2025: Sources close to Stormzy say 'Free Palestine' Instagram post was not deleted
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