The Irishman: Ed Sheeran 'related to' Mafia hitman played by Robert De Niro
The revelation reportedly came from the singer himself
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ed Sheeran is reportedly related to the mobster played by Robert De Niro in new film The Irishman.
According to Stephen Graham, who co-stars alongside De Niro and Al Pacino in the movie, the singer is a distant nephew of alleged hitman Frank Sheeran.
“They’re related, you know,” he told The Sun. “Honest to God – I swear on my nana’s life.”
Graham, added: “That’s what Ed said – he says it’s his distant uncle.”
The Irishman follows Sheeran across several decades of his life, tracking his experiences with labour union teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) and crime boss Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci).
It is director Martin Scorsese‘s best reviewed film since Taxi Driver (1976), according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Production began on the filmmaker’s long-gestating mob drama in 2016 with lucrative rights picked up at Cannes Film Festival. Netflix later acquired worldwide rights to the film for a reported $105m setting a budget of $125m.
Based on Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses, The Irishman marks the ninth collaboration between De Niro and Scorsese. It is the first time Pacino has worked with the director.
The Irishman is out in selected UK cinemas now and will be available to stream on Netflix from 27 November. Read our five-star review here.
We have contacted Sheeran’s reps for comment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments