Ellie Goulding’s romantic life might have, at some point, been a cascading love triangle, with Niall Horan and Ed Sheeran trapped on adjacent sides.
Ellie Goulding, the singer, and songwriter, has a complicated romantic history that leaves many loose ends unattended. Topping the list of her past romantic escapades was her rumored relationship scandal involving singer Ed Sheeran and One Direction member Niall Horan.
Through the years, many have come up with different speculations surrounding the implied entanglement. However, neither of the trio involved has put forth a foolhardy explanation that could solve the 7-year long mystery.
Instead, their explanations over the years have contrasted each other, leaving the public more confused about the situation. However, understanding the basis of the rumors and how the three music artists view their sides of the story may be a first step in solving the mysterious affair.
ELLIE GOULDING AND ED SHEERAN’S RELATIONSHIP
Ellie Goulding and Ed Sheeran’s relationship reportedly played out in 2013. Rumors of the affair sprang up when a photo of the duo holding hands at the MTV VMAs surfaced. The pictures made the rounds on social media, bringing up speculations of a romance between the pair.
However, Goulding debunked claims of a romance between them during a 2015 interview. She stated that she was never involved in a romantic relationship with Ed Sheeran at any point, noting they were just friends.
Ed Sheeran sang a different tone during an exclusive interview in 2013. The singer addressed the photo of he and Ellie holding hands, implying they were not just friends. According to the star, normal people “don’t hold hands” if they were no romantic strings attached.
GOULDING’S RELATIONSHIP WITH NIALL HORAN
Ellie Goulding also sustained a relationship with One Direction bandmate, Niall Horan. The duo sparked dating rumors in 2013, but their romance was short-lived. They went their separate ways that same year, giving no explanation to the public.
The news of their split thrilled many, as the relationship ended almost as soon as it began. Following their breakup, the songstress, who admitted having a relationship with Horan, confirmed they were still friends. She went on to refer to him as a lovely guy with a good sense of humor.
With so many good things to say about him, the public could not help but wonder why the exes broke up in the first place.
ELLIE GOULDING’S RELATIONSHIP ENTANGLEMENT
Being in the dark about the reason behind the couple’s split led many to bring up different theories surrounding the breakup. The most prevailing theory was that Goulding and Horan ended their brief romance because the songstress cheated on the One Direction star with Sheeran.
Backing the rumors was the fact that her relationship with both stars surfaced almost at the same time. Ed Sheeran’s song, “Don’t,” released around that time, also contributed to making the whole affair a big deal.
His lyrics spoke of a famous singer he used to date but broke up with because she cheated on him with a friend in their hotel. Fans wasted no time filling the blanks, as they tagged Goulding as the famous ex the song was referring to, while Horan was the friend in question.
Sheeran asserting that the song was indeed referring to his real-life experience did little to curb the rumors. In a later interview, he refused to attach the song to anyone, saying it only made it harder to sing every night. However, the star contradicted himself in an October 2015 interview. He implied that “Don’t” may or may not have been about Ellie Goulding and Niall Horan.
NIALL HORAN AND ELLIE GOULDING’S RELATIONSHIP NOW
Notwithstanding the circumstances surrounding the theorized love triangle, the trio involved appears to have moved on over time. Surprisingly, they have managed to maintain an excellent relationship as friends while plowing their respective paths.
Niall Horan has since found peace with the 33-year-old singer. During an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in 2016, the 27-year-old icon partook in the game, “Who’d You Rather.” Interestingly, he chose Goulding as his dream date, even though it’d been years since their split.
Ed Sheeran’s appearance at Goulding’s August 2019 marriage to husband, Casper Jopling at York Minster raised brows. However, it served as first-hand proof that the pair had also put their differences behind them, if any ever existed.