Ed Sheeran Says Performing Marvin Gaye Mash-Up Does Not Mean He Ripped Off “Let’s Get It On”

Ed Sheeran appeared in court this week to defend his smash single “Thinking Out Loud” against claims of copyright infringement.

According to PEOPLE, the singer took the stand on Tuesday in New York. He faced off with Kathryn Townsend Griffin, daughter of the late Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the iconic Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On.” The 1973 single was Motown’s biggest-selling record at the time, going on to sell millions. It is one of the most well-known Gaye tunes, and Sheeran says while he did pay homage to it during a performance, he did not rip it off as Griffin claims.

“If I’d done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be an idiot to stand on stage in front of 20,000 people and do that,” the musician said. The show in question was a 2014 concert where he sang a mash-up of his “Thinking Out Loud” with Gaye’s lovemaking anthem.

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Sheeran would go on to say that “most pop songs” are inspired by works that have come before them. However, that does not make him a thief of the very art that inspired him to create music in the first place. Instead, Sheeran says the motivation behind his Grammy-award-winning piece was the love he witnessed between his grandparents.

Griffin is seeking $100 million from Sheeran for allegedly copying her father’s part. Her attorney, Ben Crump, says Sheeran’s concert rendition of Gaye’s single was a “confession,” calling it a “smoking gun” in the case.

This isn’t the first time Sheeran has faced such claims. In April 2022, a judge sided with him in a lawsuit that alleged he ripped off “Shape of You” from Sami Switch’s 2015 song, “Oh Why.”