It has been nearly 10 years since Ed Sheeran released Don't. With the rumors resurfacing that Ellie Goulding cheated on Sheeran with Niall Horan, fans are once again trying to determine who the Shape of You singer wrote the song about. And while Sheeran has remained coy about the song over the years, refusing to out the person the song references, that has not stopped fans from being amateur sleuths to deduct which one of the women Sheeran dated was the cheater. As such, a fire has been relit under fans, and they are ready to determine who Don't is about once and for all.
The single was supposed to be the first song released off of Sheeran's second album, X. However, Sing became the first single instead. This occurred after a conversation with Pharrell, who felt that Sheeran would be showing a different side of himself with Sing than what was portrayed in the debut album. And it was because of this "push" and the fact that "Pharrell wants you to do the best things possible" that Don't was pushed to the back burner.
But when the song was released as the second single from the album, tongues immediately began wagging. Everyone wanted to know who the mystery woman Sheeran was singing about that cheated on him. And this woman has yet to be identified almost a decade after the song's release. Here is who fans think Ed Sheeran's song Don't is about.
Who Was Ed Sheeran's 'Don't' About?
Once Don't was released, fans of the singer/songwriter saw a personal side to him. This is because the song was painfully raw and gave intimate details of Sheeran's private life and how he was cheated on. A type of song that had not been written with the release of his freshman album.
Sheeran referred to Don't as a "bitter song of romantic betrayal." This is because the song details how a woman he was dating cheated on him. And cheated on him not just with another man but with a friend. A story put to music that tells nothing but the truth.
"The story in Don't is 100% true," Sheeran explained. "I could have gotten nastier. There was more [expletive] I could have put in."
The Shivers singer went on to state, "I was seeing someone for a bit of time, and then they ended up physically involved with one of my friends in the same hotel that we were staying in, while I was downstairs."
The move broke the heart of Sheeran fans and made them want to uncover just who it was that was the culprit behind the "disrespectful" move that ultimately ended the relationship.
Ed Is Adamant His Songs Are Not About Taylor Swift
Don't references the fact that the woman who cheated on Sheeran was also in the same industry. And because of this, the women on the list of who it could be were narrowed down in short order by fans.
One of the names that were brought up frequently was Taylor Swift. This made sense given that she is prone to writing songs about her exes. Because of this, fans may have thought that Sheeran was beating her to the punch.
The more the rumor was shopped around, the more it was believed. And because of this, the Photograph singer made sure fans knew that Swift was not the culprit.
"It's 100 percent not about Taylor," Sheeran explained. In fact, he added that while he and the Red singer have a friendship, it has never gone beyond that.
"Taylor's one of these people that if you piss her off and she writes a song about you, it's not good news for you," the Perfect Symphony singer went on to say. "I've never dated Taylor. I've dated a few singers, though."
The same could be said about Sheeran. A fact that Swift was made clear of when she was given a preview of Don't before it was released.
"Whatever happens, ever, between us as friends, I never want to p*** you off that much," Sheeran shared that Swift said. And because of this, the two artists have a very healthy mutual respect for one another and their songwriting capabilities.
Fans Suspect 'Don't' Is Actually About Ellie Goulding
With Swift being crossed off the list of people who were responsible for cheating and breaking Sheeran's heart, fans went back and took a look at which singers Sheeran was involved with in the months to a year before the X album was released. And by doing this, there was a very clear person who emerged as the cheating party.
Ellie Goulding and Sheeran were never confirmed as a couple. But the Celestial Singer appeared to confirm that the two dated when a picture of the two surfaced showing the duo at the MTV VMAs holding hands.
"I mean, normal people don't hold hands if they're just friends," Sheeran explained. This was the gasoline that Sheeran fans needed to confirm in their minds that Goulding was the cheating party.
Goulding dated several celebrities before getting married to Caspar Jopling. And the Burn singer has remained adamant that while one of those celebrities was Horan, there was never a relationship with Sheeran.
"I did go on a few dates with Niall, but I was never in a relationship with Ed," the Love Me Like You Do singer explained. A fact that Goulding reiterated after a fan commented on her TikTok video on December 30.
"Can’t believe u cheated on Ed with Niall but slay fr," the fan wrote. Goulding shot back, "False!!!! But also slay."
Until Sheeran either admits it was Goulding or explicitly states who it was that cheated on him so many years ago, it appears that Goulding will always be the woman known as the one who cheated on the Castle on the Hill singer.
And with Sheeran not being keen on speaking on the subject any longer, it appears the mystery will never truly be solved.
