Closing arguments began and ended on the sixth day of Ed Sheeran’s copyright lawsuit in New York Wednesday, the same day his grandmother Nancy was laid to rest in Ireland.
Sheeran, 32, admitted the night before at the premiere for his new Disney+ docuseries that he would not be in attendance at her funeral due to the court proceedings.
His demanding schedule and difficult year was highlighted during a panel discussion with Gayle King, per People magazine.
“I’ve got the documentary coming out tomorrow. I’ve got the album coming out on Friday. I start my tour on Saturday, my grandmother’s funeral’s tomorrow. I’m still in this court case,” he said.
Sheeran is accused of using Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” to create his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.” The song was co-written by late musician Ed Townsend, and the trial stems from a lawsuit filed by Townsend’s heirs in 2017.
In closing arguments, Sheeran’s lawyer focused on how the arrangement of common chords in the song were also used by many artists. Attorneys also argued there were no similarities in melodies or pitch and that the songs were very different.
ED SHEERAN TESTIFIES IN ‘THINKING OUT LOUD’ JURY TRIAL
Additionally, subjecting artists to fear the usage of common chord progressions used for centuries prior could prevent future artists from writing new music out of concern for litigation.
Townsend’s counsel, Ben Crump, argued that Sheeran’s celebrity status and connections could mislead people to ignore the truth.
Crump detailed how Townsend’s legal team prepared seven years for the case.
He stated that Sheeran writes up to 10 songs per day, and couldn’t ensure any of the music wasn’t copied whether intentionally or unintentionally. Crump also relayed that it was likely he didn’t independently create “Thinking Out Loud.”
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The song was co-written by Amy Wadge, but she is not named in the suit.
When the father of two took the stand earlier this week, he said he found 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.
The trial began on April 24. Four women and three men serve as jurors in the bifurcated trial. If jurors find in favor of Sheeran, the case is over.
If the jury sides with the plaintiff, a new trial begins immediately after the verdict with the same jurors deciding damages.
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.
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“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.”
Fox News’ Shelly Xu and Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.