Ellie Goulding Still Denies Her Connection To Ed Sheeran's Biggest Breakup Anthem

Ellie Goulding has tried to set the record straight about the "Don't"-related rumors multiple times over the years. In 2015, the pop star explained to Elle UK that the cheating allegations were false and that she and Ed Sheeran weren't ever together in the first place. "I did go on a few dates with Niall [Horan]," she revealed, "but I was never in a relationship with Ed." Goulding added, "I have absolutely no idea where that came from and why it was turned into such a big thing."

Despite the singer telling her side of the story, fans have continued to believe and perpetuate the scandalous theory; Goulding had to defend herself in the comments section of her December 31, 2022 TikTok dance video when a user wrote, "Can't believe you cheated on Ed with Niall, but slay." She replied, "False!!!! But also slay."

It's all taken a toll on Goulding's mental health. During a February 2023 interview with The Daily Mail, she shared, "You know, completely honestly, it caused me a huge amount of... stress is not the word. It caused me a lot of trauma, actually." The singer explained that people made her feel like a "terrible person" and that was really hard. She also admitted that she was drunk when she responded to the TikTok comment.