A break in the sun, thousands of miles from the prying eyes of the public (and cameras), was just what singer Ellie Goulding needed after a painful “rough patch” in her four-year marriage.
Carefree days on the beach in Costa Rica—surfing, swimming, and not thinking about the growing chasm in her troubled relationship with husband Caspar Jopling—would surely give her the space to think she needed to find a way back to the marriage she once knew. once had. So dear.
But when photographs emerged this week, taken by a local photographer, of the 37-year-old woman frolicking in the waves, without her wedding ring, and in the company of a handsome, amateur surf instructor named Armando Perez, it left no one wondering. any doubt. Ellie’s fairy tale has come to an end.
For more than 18 months her company has been insisting that she and Caspar, with whom she has a three-year-old son, Arthur, were determined to save their marriage, but a source close to the singer told the Mail this week: “Ellie and Caspar have been together for some time now, but they kept pretending to be together.
‘The fact is that it’s over. Ellie moved away some time ago but she didn’t want anyone to know.
Handsome surf instructor Armando Pérez holds a smiling Ellie close as the waves roll in
A local photographer photographed Ellie and Armando on the beach.
Ellie shared a selfie of herself in a bikini while on vacation
Caspar Jopling was photographed without his wedding ring in London
‘But now he enjoys the company of other men and there is simply no turning back.
“It’s very sad, especially because they have little Arthur, but they can’t make it work and now, unfortunately, it’s going to end in divorce.” There is no way to save the marriage.
‘It wasn’t necessarily the result they wanted, but that’s where they are. Ellie is ready to date other men and, if she isn’t already, Caspar will surely be back on the market soon.
The source added: “It all got a little awkward when Ellie found out about the photographs. She didn’t think she would be seen with Armando in Costa Rica, so they had to have some pretty embarrassing conversations.
However, a friend confessed that the images “could have been worse.”
It’s a sad ending for the Brit Award winner, who married the man she thought was ‘The One’ in a star-studded ceremony at York Minster in the summer of 2019.
Raised in a council house in Herefordshire by a single mother who worked in a supermarket and a stepfather she disliked, Ellie had a difficult childhood.
His musical talent was discovered at an “open mic” night while he was at the University of Kent studying music and drama, and his rise to stardom was often told as a rags-to-riches story.
Her 2010 debut album propelled her to the A-list of celebrities, and she was invited to perform at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reception in 2011, where she sang Sir Elton John’s ‘Your Song’.
Before meeting Caspar, she had dated the likes of Ed Sheeran, Niall Horan and Radio One DJ Greg James.
She and Caspar, 32, were said to have been introduced by a mutual friend, Princess Eugenie, who knew him through her connections in the art world and Ellie socially.
Armando places a loving kiss on Ellie’s head
Ellie’s carefree day on the beach in Costa Rica as she frolics in the waves with Armando
The pop star and the handsome surf instructor enjoy each other’s company in the sand
The couple emerges from the ocean after swimming.
Ellie tests her surfing skills
The couple met at a dinner with friends in New York in 2016, where Caspar was working as an art dealer for Sotheby’s. Ellie was at the end of a tour and admitted: “I was exhausted that night and almost didn’t go.” Additionally, she had just separated from Dougie Poynter, singer of the boy band McFly with whom she had dated since 2014.
No one could have predicted how well the date would go. In stark contrast to Ellie’s upbringing, Caspar is the Eton- and Harvard-educated son of the Honorable Nicholas Jopling, who comes from a wealthy farming family in the Yorkshire Dales.
However, despite their contrasting backgrounds, they soon became an engaged couple and three years later their wedding took place at Castle Howard, the stately home where Brideshead Revisited was filmed.
Ellie did her best. Dressed in a long Chloe dress and with a £150,000 ring on her finger, she arrived in a blue caravan. Among the guests were Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as James Blunt, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom.
In April 2021, the couple welcomed Arthur Ever Winter Jopling. His happiness, it seemed, was total.
But two years ago, cracks began to appear in the relationship and they were said to be living apart – Ellie in the marital home in west London and Caspar moving into their second home.
A source said at the time: ‘There is a problem, it’s true. They own two houses and currently live separately, but still do things together with Arthur.’
The press was then informed that they were trying to overcome a “difficult loss.”
Armando places his hands on Ellie’s waist as they watch a fellow surfer on the beach.
The couple embrace during Ellie’s ‘wellness break’
Sources close to Ellie say her romance with Armando is not a fling and that she flew to Costa Rica to see him after they met there last month.
Armando affectionately kisses Ellie as they embrace on the beach
Ellie ended her friendship with fellow conservative Zac Goldsmith to ‘focus on her marriage’
Ellie on vacation in Costa Rica and with Caspar before their breakup
The singer and Caspar married in August 2019 at York Minster.
However, waiting in the wings was former Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith.
Ellie and the Eton-educated billionaire son of the late billionaire financier Sir James Goldsmith formed another unlikely bond over their shared love of ecological issues.
While Team Ellie always insisted they didn’t see themselves outside of environmental commitments, it can be confirmed that “they were kind of a thing,” according to a friend.
It was then, last September, that Ellie and Caspar were said to have tried once again to make their marriage work, and just four weeks ago they were spotted together at a Ricky Gervais show in London.
But this week, any hope that they had officially reconciled was dashed when Ellie flew to Costa Rica, leaving Caspar at home, for a “wellness break” vacation with her closest friends, described by someone on social media as “girls on tour.” .
The vacation was chronicled in photographs posted by her close friend Cassandra Gracey, an executive at Sony Records, who described how they practiced yoga and played.
And, in fact, he looked good and happy when he arrived at the beach. She was photographed hugging Perez, who runs the local surf school, as he affectionately kissed her head.
She was also photographed trying to surf, under his tutelage. While to the world it might seem like a one-time vacation adventure, sources close to her say that’s not the case and she flew to Costa Rica to see Perez after they met there last month.
But the appearance of the images has been a headache for Ellie. After finding out that she had been spotted, she quickly told her friends and industry figures that she was officially single.
Last night he said on Instagram: ‘In light of recent stories, I feel I have no choice but to let everyone know that Caspar and I privately split some time ago.
‘We remain closest friends and have successfully co-parented with our son’s best interests in mind. We are committed to protecting our family’s privacy and thank people in advance for respecting our wishes; We will not comment further. Thanks x’.
‘I’ve been surfing since I was a kid. The waves of Playa Hermosa are my home and I am a very good host,’ says Armando on his website
Next Saturday Ellie will be back at work at the BRIT Awards, where she will perform with Calvin Harris, who she was romantically linked to in 2013. A source said: “It will be Ellie’s big moment to say, ‘I’m back.'” She can’t wait.
Now, however, the question revolving around the music industry is who will accompany her on the red carpet of her biggest night of the year?