Nearly 140,000 sign petition to oust Pink as UNICEF ambassador

• Javier Bardem is among the signatories. 

A Change.org petition calling on UNICEF to strip pop star Pink of her role as a Goodwill Ambassador has now amassed 138,000 signatures, the latest flashpoint in a broader controversy over celebrity reactions to Macklemore's pro-Palestinian remarks at a recent Ed Sheeran concert.

The dispute traces back to Sep. 4-5, when Macklemore, opening for Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

He performed his protest song "Hind's Hall" while wearing a keffiyeh and displaying Gaza-related imagery on the stadium screens. The remarks drew cheers from parts of the crowd, alongside reports of some attendees walking out.

Pink then reposted an Instagram Story from the advocacy group StopAntisemitism criticizing the rapper's performance and calling for refunds for concertgoers, without adding commentary of her own. The post accused Macklemore of exposing Jewish fans to anti-'Israel' propaganda, and it quickly drew accusations of prejudice and calls for a boycott of Pink.

Days later, Pink published a lengthy statement saying she had been hurt by the backlash but would "keep speaking out." In it, she referenced her decade as a UNICEF ambassador, saying she has grieved children lost "on both sides of that fence," and said she would not litigate the war in an Instagram caption.

She said she was not asking anyone to silence Macklemore or to stop anyone from saying "Free Palestine," and reiterated her past statement that Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity. She also described herself as Jewish and said Hamas is a terrorist organization. She has framed her objection as standing up for her own community.

The petition's argument

The petition, titled "Remove Pink as a UNICEF Ambassador" on Change.org, argues that Pink's comments are incompatible with the neutrality expected of a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

It contends that ambassadors should "unify, not divide" and should extend equal empathy to children on all sides of the conflict, including Palestinian children in Gaza.

The petition frames Pink's posts as a betrayal of that neutrality and calls on UNICEF to remove her from the role to protect the organization's credibility as an impartial advocate for children.

Where things stand

As of this writing, the petition has amassed 138,000 signatures and continues to circulate widely on X, Threads, and other platforms, with some users proposing alternative UNICEF ambassadors.

The campaign has also drawn a high-profile backer. Spanish actor Javier Bardem is calling for Pink to be expelled as a UNICEF ambassador.

Neither UNICEF nor Pink's representatives have publicly responded to the removal petition itself. Pink has been a UNICEF ambassador for roughly a decade, a role that has previously involved advocacy for children's health and welfare programs unrelated to the current controversy.

Read more: Petition demands Pink’s ouster as UNICEF ambassador amid Macklemore row