The play continued aft Sheeran released his opus "Don't" successful 2014, which sparked rumors that Goulding allegedly cheated connected Sheeran with Horan, whom she was besides reportedly spotted retired with successful 2013. (Sheeran never confirmed who the opus was about).

As You Magazine notes, Goulding maintains she ne'er dated Sheeran but defends his close to gully inspiration for his songs arsenic helium chooses. Still, that doesn't mean dealing with the rumors has been easy. 

"You know, wholly honestly, it caused maine a immense magnitude of… accent is not the word," she explained. "It caused maine a batch of trauma, actually."

After all, not everyone has their beingness truthful publically scrutinized. "How aged were we, 23?" Goulding continued. "I envy the information that my friends conscionable spent their 20s having flings and one-night stands and what each 20-something goes done successful private. But each azygous happening I did was written about. I was made to consciousness similar a unspeakable idiosyncratic and I truly struggled with that due to the fact that I cognize I'm not."

In fact, this benignant of aggravated attraction reportedly led her to instrumentality a five-year hiatus betwixt releasing her 2015 medium Delirium and her 2020 medium Brightest Blue—a determination she said wounded her career. 

"I tin laughter astir it present but it changed things for me," she added. "I became benignant of reclusive. I didn't privation to perform. That's wherefore I wrote that comment, due to the fact that each time I get comments astir this anserine teenage situation. It was thing and it was private—and it caused maine specified a immense magnitude of grief and I resent it."

Besides, Goulding said she and Sheeran person talked astir it. "Of course!" she replied erstwhile asked if they've discussed everything. "It is successful the past and we're friends. We're adults."

And they've some moved on. Goulding married Caspar Jopling successful 2019, and they welcomed son Arthur, astir 2, successful 2021. As for Sheeran, he's joined to Cherry Seaborn, with whom helium shares 2 children. 

Goulding had previously discussed the rumors involving Horan, who hasn't publically addressed the speculation, and Sheeran successful a 2015 interrogation with ELLE U.K. "I did spell connected a few dates with Niall but I was ne'er successful a narration with Ed," she shared astatine the time. "I person perfectly nary thought wherever that came from and wherefore it was turned into specified a large thing."