Ellie Goulding admits that she ‘regrets’ responding to viral rumours that she betrayed Ed Sheeran

Ellie Goulding has admitted she now regrets responding to rumors about her love life earlier this year.

The 36-year-old singer has received a wave of allegations that she had an affair with One Direction’s Niall Horan while she was reportedly dating Ed Sheeran in 2013.

And this Christmas, she finally decided to respond to the claims that have been circulating for a long time, labeling them false on social media.

But in a new interview, Ellie revealed that she actually regrets acknowledging the rumors — sharing that she “shouldn’t admit to that.”

She revealed that the urge to answer came after years of ignoring the claims over a glass of wine, she said The independent that her reaction actually fueled the fire more.

Ellie shared her regret about “giving in,” explaining that “heroes” and “villains” were created in the “fake world of social media.”

She told the publication: “I think by answering I’m showing a little bit that the world is real, or adding validity to a world that’s made to keep us scrolling and keep us in fear and fascinated by celebrities.

“I think it’s best for me to stay in the real world. But sometimes you just have to – occasionally; every five years or so – put something there…”

Ellie is now happily married to beau Caspar Jopling, having tied the knot in 2019.

But the claims started when she sparked romance rumors with Ed, 31, in 2013, with later speculation that she betrayed Ed by having an affair with Niall, 29, after he penned the smash hit Don’t.

Finally addressing the situation, she commented on a TikTok video over Christmas and responded to a fan who wrote, “Can’t believe you cheated on Ed with Niall, but dead.”

Ellie hit back: ‘Not true!!!! But also kill.

Fans couldn’t believe the singer had addressed the rumor after years of speculation.

One follower wrote, “Never mind Ed or Niall, I’m available,” while another added, “Ed will never forget dissing.”

Ed memorably wrote Don’t about an ex who cheated on him with a friend – allegedly Niall and Ellie.

Ellie and Ed were linked after they were spotted holding hands at the MTV VMA awards in August 2013.

But Ellie immediately took to Twitter to deny there was anything going on between the pair, claiming they were just good friends.

In a tweet she wrote that night, which she later deleted, she wrote, “I love that holding hands with my friends means we’re an item.”

Ellie also said, “Then I have a lot of relationships. Lover not hater. #whatthef**k.’

But Ed offered a slightly different version of events when he discussed his friendship with the Starry Eyed hitmaker on US radio show Clock 98.9 later in the year.

When asked about the rumours, he revealed that the pair were more than just good friends at the time, explaining, “I mean, normal people don’t hold hands when they’re just friends.”

Meanwhile, in 2015 Ellie admitted to having an affair with Niall Horan but insisted she never dated Ed in an interview with Elle.

She said: ‘I did go on a few dates with Niall, but I never dated Ed [Sheeran]. I have absolutely no idea where that came from and why it became such a big thing.

“I find it so frustrating that female musicians are constantly defined by the men they have or have not dated. It’s something I’ve talked to Taylor (Swift) about a lot. She certainly feels that.

‘It’s bothering her. It’s like you can be a great artist, you can write great songs, but what everyone is going to talk about is a relationship they think you may or may not have had. It’s definitely something that we both think happens to female artists rather than male artists.”

Ed, meanwhile, stated in an interview that the song Don’t help him “get over the anger” about the woman who betrayed him.

Ellie subsequently found love with Caspar Jopling and the couple welcomed their first child son Arthur in 2021, while Ed married his high school sweetheart Cherry Seaborn in 2019 and is a proud father of two.