Ellie Goulding Denies Dating Ed Sheeran, Says Niall Horan Cheating Rumors Caused Her 'A Lot of Trauma'

Ellie Goulding is ready to put the rumors to rest. The 36-year-old singer is opening up about the trauma she experienced from rumors that she cheated on Ed Sheeran with Niall Horan.

Goulding speaks with Daily Mail about the hurt she felt from cheating allegations, and insists she never even dated Sheeran. 

"It's fascinating how many people are interested in that. It happened nine years ago," she tells the outlet. "You know, completely honestly, it caused me a lot of trauma, actually."

In 2014, Sheeran made headlines when tabloids reported that his song, "Don't," was inspired by Goulding. At the time, fans believed that she cheated on Sheeran with Horan, then a member of One Direction.

"I envy the fact that my friends just spent their 20s having flings and one-night stands and what every 20-something goes through in private. But every single thing I did was written about," she tells Daily Mail. "I was made to feel like a terrible person and I really struggled with that because I know I'm not."

Recently, Goulding shared a TikTok of herself dancing to Harry Styles' "As It Was." In the comments section, a TikTok user wrote, "Can't believe u cheated on Ed with Niall, but slay fr (for real)."

Goulding quickly shut down the statement by commenting, "False!!!!! But also slay." She admitted to Daily Mail that "I was really drunk when I wrote that."

Goulding and Horan first sparked romance rumors in August 2013 after The Mirror reported that the two were spotted showing PDA at the V Festival in England. A week later, Goulding was seen with Sheeran, holding hands on camera while sitting in the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Goulding addressed her relationship with Sheeran at the time in a tweet, writing, "I love that holding hands with my friends means we're an item. In that case I am in many relationships. Lover not a hater. #whatthef**k."

Goulding believes the incident negatively impacted her career, as she took a five-year hiatus. She released Brightest Blue in 2020 after releasing her previous studio album Delirium in 2015.

"I can laugh about it now but it changed things for me," she says. "I became kind of reclusive. I didn't want to perform. That's why I wrote that comment because every day I get comments about this stupid teenage situation. It was nothing and it was private – and it caused me such a huge amount of grief and I resent it."

Goulding went on to reveal that she and 32-year-old Sheeran are on good terms. "It is in the past and we're friends. We're adults," she notes.

During an interview with ELLE UK in July 2015, she addressed the rumor regarding Sheeran, when word first started circulating.

"I did go on a few dates with Niall, but I was never in a relationship with Ed," she explained. "I have absolutely no idea where that came from and why it was turned into such a big thing."

Goulding has since gone on to wed Caspar Jopling, with the pair tying the knot in 2019, and welcoming a baby boy in 2021. Sheeran meanwhile confirmed in July 2019 that he was married to Cherry Seaborn. The pair share two daughters together.

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