Jethro Sheeran rapping, next to Ed Sheeran holding a thumbs up as Jethro puts his arm around him

It’s shaping up to be an awkward Christmas for Ed Sheeran and his family, as the star’s cousin has launched a scathing attack on him.

The 33-year-old musician and his rapper cousin, Jethro Sheeran, haven’t been on the best of terms this year, and now things have taken an even worse turn after Jethro wrote a brutal Facebook post targeted at the star.

Taking to social media, Jethro, who goes by the stage name Alonestar, has claimed his high profile ‘silver spoon weirdo’ cousin instructed his label, Warner Music, to threaten legal action against him in relation to the artwork of their 2010 collaboration song, Raise Em Up.

Warner Music ordered Jethro to remove Ed’s name and image from the cover art of the song in September, which he did. However, he said he was shocked his cousin would make such a request.

Now, he has hit out at the star once more, claiming fans are being told lies and he’s sick of ‘lying’ for his cousin.

‘I’m so sick of lying and holding the truth back. Everyone blames lawyers and managers. Warner Music UK lawyer was also shocked as my lawyers why she was in this case activated by Ed Sheeran,’ Jethro wrote.

Ed Sheeran holding guitar and singing with cousin Jethro who is holding microphone
The cousins were once close collaborators (Picture: Facebook/Jethro Sheeran)

ED Sheeran and cousin Jethro Sheeran on cover of Raise Em Up song
The reported feud came after Jethro was ordered to remove Ed’s image and name from the Raise Em Up cover (Picture: Spotify)

Cover of Jethro Sheeran's Raise Em Up single
The cover was re-released in September (Picture: Spotify)
He signed off the post by asking Ed to leave him alone: ‘Go do a pop tour with someone please bro.. go with Stormzy… I know a lot .. Edward, don’t trip anymore, leave me alone to do my thing and you do yours. Storms have a word with this silver spoon weirdo ..god bless all.’

Jethro and Ed once appeared to have a close relationship, with many pictures of the pair having once circulated online and Jethro fondly calling him ‘cuzzie’.

The rapper, who has worked with the likes of Chris Brown and Snoop Dogg, also claimed he was a key figure in Ed’s early years of songwriting and performing, having appeared on multiple of Ed’s tracks, including Move On, Pause, and You Need Me, I Don’t Need You, but all that has changed.

Ed Sheeran arrives on the Red Carpet at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
Ed has not responded to Jethro’s claims (Picture: Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag)
It comes just days after Jethro sat down with MailOnline where he spoke at length about the breakdown of his relationship with Ed, claiming they are no longer ‘family’.

‘I don’t consider Ed to be family to me any more,’ he told the news outlet. ‘I love him because he is my blood and flesh, but I don’t need to know him any more.’

Noting that music brought them together and tore them apart, he said they aren’t ‘on talking terms’ but did hint that he could be open to reconciliation if his cousin reached out.

‘He needs to apologise to me first, but I don’t think he ever will,’ Jethro told the publication.

Ed has yet to comment on the claims.