It appears Ellie Goulding and her husband Caspar Jopling have split after recently released photos show the singer leaving her wedding ring behind before getting cozy with a new man in Costa Rica.
Footage obtained by The Sun showed the 37-year-old singer romping with hunky surfer Armando Perez in his home country. The surprising sighting comes weeks after Ellie and Caspar were pictured together on a date night in London’s Leicester Square.
The couple, who share one child together, have been plagued by divorce rumors since last year and have yet to publicly announce it. HELLO! has reached out to a representative for comment.
Here we look back at Ellie and Caspar’s relationship timeline…
The early days
The couple’s relationship began in 2017 after meeting at a dinner with friends in New York. The singer was at the end of a tour at the time and wasn’t sure if he would attend. “I was exhausted that night and almost didn’t go,” she told Tatler in 2023.
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A few months later, the couple decided to enjoy some dates in London. “We were painfully shy around each other at first,” she said, adding: “But once we got over that, we realized we were really meant to be together – he’s very romantic.”
Involvement
Just over a year after they first met, the smitten lovebirds announced their engagement in August 2018 with a post in The times. “The engagement has been announced between Caspar, son of Mr Nicholas Jopling of Yorkshire and Mrs Jayne Warde-Aldam of Yorkshire, and Elena, daughter of Mr Arthur Goulding of Herefordshire and Mrs Tracey Sumner of West Midlands,” the statement said.
“I get to spend the rest of my life with this truly extraordinary and beautiful, beautiful person,” Casper later wrote on social media after popping the question: “No one has ever made me feel so full of life, knowledge, happiness or more .” Love, hope, passion, trust and even more love.
“There is no one I have ever been more complete with and there is no one I will ever feel more complete with. I look forward to a lifetime of exploring the world together, crying with laughter at stupid jokes, chatting until the early hours of life.” the morning about art, music, the world and the future. I love you Elena. And thank you to all of you who sent such loving messages today.”
Speaking about the proposal, Ellie further said The Jonathan Ross Show: “I think he proposed a little earlier than he thought. I think he got a little over-excited and proposed the week before he planned to.”
Wedding
The singer has been married to art dealer Caspar since August 31, 2019. They married in a star-studded ceremony at York Minster, attended by the likes of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom. On that day, Ellie stole the show by wearing five different outfits!
After tying the knot, Ellie reflected on her wedding day with a sweet post. “This weekend I married the love of my life, in God’s own country, surrounded by the people I cherish,” she wrote. “Overwhelmed with gratitude. Forever grateful to everyone involved in such a special time, including everyone who traveled from far and wide to come and celebrate with us at York Minster – a place that my husband and his family hold dearly carry their hearts.”
The pop star continued: “I will never forget your support and generosity. Sending you both so much love and a huge hug xx.”
In 2020, while speaking to Glamor UK, the Love me like you singer opened up about her marriage and what it was like spending some of those first months as a newlywed couple in lockdown.
“I can honestly say we haven’t had an argument, we haven’t stormed out of the house or vice versa, and I’m grateful for that,” she said of isolating together.
“It’s probably not ideal to suddenly be completely forced to live together right after you get married, but it is factual proof that we can just coexist very peacefully and very happily.” She added, “I think someone can really bring out the best in you, and someone can really bring out the worst in you.”
Ellie also noted that her relationship with her husband was “mature,” unlike some of her previous romances. “We talk things through, and we never argue,” she continued. “When we have disagreements, we talk them out; we don’t just say, ‘Well, I’m right and you’re wrong, and we’ll just agree to disagree.’ We talk about why we disagree on something.”
Becoming parents
Ellie and Casper have since become parents to their son Arthur, who they welcomed in April 2021. Before the arrival, Ellie shared photos of her blossoming baby bump in an interview with Vogue, revealing she was 30 weeks pregnant.
The star told the publication how she discovered she was pregnant last August when she went on a trip to celebrate her one-year wedding anniversary – and has kept the news a secret amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
She said: “It was crazy because it was our one year anniversary. That wasn’t the plan. The thought of becoming pregnant didn’t seem like it could become a reality.
“Becoming pregnant made me feel human. I want a better word than feminine, [but] I have curves I’ve never had before. I enjoy it. My husband enjoys it.”
Casper was the one to reveal that their baby had arrived, sharing a photo of a bouquet of flowers on Instagram Stories and writing: “Mommy and baby both healthy and happy 🙂 Extremely grateful.” He added: “I never focus on the public attention that comes with Ellie’s job, but during this magical and personal moment we would really appreciate the opportunity to enjoy our privacy – Thank you x.”
In a cover interview with Tatler in September 2021, the Starry Eyed singer revealed that she had been exchanging parenting tips with Princess Eugenie, who had also welcomed her first son August with her husband, Jack Brooksbank.
“There’s a huge sense of camaraderie among new mums, not just about being pregnant, but about breastfeeding and figuring it all out,” the mum-of-one said. “It seems like motherhood is a time where you can never say too much about what’s going on, and I’m grateful for that.”
Parting
Last year it was reported that Ellie and Caspar had spent some time apart due to their “hectic schedules”. The rumors first emerged in July 2023, when Ellie was spotted without her wedding rings weeks later. Her friendship with Tory peer Zac Goldsmith had raised eyebrows as they were pictured enjoying several outings together.
However, Ellie has now been pictured getting close to surf instructor Armando while on holiday in Costa Rica. The handsome surfer was seen leaning in to hug and kiss the British star during a lesson. Armando has previously been spotted taking fellow singer Shakira for surfing lessons.