Ed Sheeran finds trial 'frustrating' and 'insulting,' slams expert's 'horrible depiction' of hit song
Ed Sheeran has been accused of copying 'Let's Get It On' to create his hit song 'Thinking Out Loud'
Ed Sheeran arrives at Manhattan federal court for copyright lawsuit
Ed Sheeran arrives at Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Sheeran is being sued by the heirs of Ed Townsend, co-writer of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On", for copyright infringement in his 2014 song "Thinking Out Loud". (FNTV)
Ed Sheeran took the stand again in the jury trial over his hit song "Thinking Out Loud."
Sheeran is accused of using Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" to create his hit song "Thinking Out Loud." The musician said he finds the lawsuit "frustrating" and "insulting" because he "works hard" to write his own music.
Sheeran also slammed the plaintiff's music expert saying Dr. Stewart gave a "horrible depiction" of "Thinking Out Loud."
"I know he’s wrong because I wrote it myself," Sheeran said about the song in question.
Ed Sheeran is currently battling a civil copyright infringement lawsuit in New York. He has been accused of violating the copyright of Marvin Gaye's song "Lets Get It On," in his own track "Thinking Out Loud." (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
ED SHEERAN TESTIFIES IN ‘THINKING OUT LOUD’ JURY TRIAL
Ed Sheeran locked in a legal battle over 'Thinking Out Loud'
FOX Business' Madison Alworth has the latest on Ed Sheeran's music copyright case on 'The Claman Countdown.'
"If I can be honest, I think what he's doing here is criminal," the singer said.
Sheeran didn't hide how irritating he found it that his life of music had landed him in a witness chair.
The "Perfect" singer said he couldn't believe that somebody would listen to one of his songs and then "diminish it by saying I stole it."
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He also noted that if he lost the trial, his career as a musician would be in question. "If that happens, I’m done – I’m stopping," Sheeran said, via the Post.
Sheeran also took the stand Thursday. The singer was adamant he had come up with the song himself, sparring at times with the plaintiff’s attorney, Keisha Rice, on the subject of "independent creation."
Attorney Ben Crump, representing heirs of Gaye's co-writer Ed Townsend, explained that Sheeran combined the songs during a concert at one point. He said merging the song was tantamount to "a confession."
Addressing the accusation that he copied songs, Sheeran said, "I’d be an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that."
Ed Sheeran testified in court on Tuesday. The singer, 32, denied his song "Thinking Out Loud" copied "Let's Get It On" co-written by Ed Townsend. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency / Getty Images)
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Lawyers for Sheeran have maintained his song only uses foundational elements of pop music.
"The two songs share versions of a similar and unprotectable chord progression that was freely available to all songwriters," the lawyers said in a court filing.
The trial began on April 24 with jury selection and is expected to last two weeks.
Ed Sheeran also was sued over his song "Shape of You." (Getty Images / Getty Images)
This isn't Sheeran's first time in the courtroom regarding his music. He previously won a lawsuit in the U.K. in 2017 that involved his song "Shape of You." The musician criticized the lawsuit following the verdict.
"I feel like claims like this are way too common now and have become a culture where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there is no basis for the claim," Sheeran said in a video posted on Twitter at the time. "It’s really damaging to the songwriting industry."
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Fox News' Shelly Xu and the Associated Press contributed to this report.