Ellie Goulding split from the handsome surf instructor she sought solace from after her marriage came to an end, MailOnline can reveal.
Ellie entered into a relationship with Armando Pérez, eight years her junior, after he gave her surfing lessons while she celebrated New Year’s in Costa Rica.
The 37-year-old singer then repeatedly traveled by plane to see her toyboy lover in the following months, but now her adventure has finally failed, her friends say.
One said: ‘Amando and Ellie were very attracted to each other. Despite the age difference, they struck up an instant chemistry when he gave her private surfing lessons.
“They soon formed a bond and loved spending time together – Ellie loved hanging out on the beach with Armando to get away from everything going on at home after their marriage had come to an end.
Ellie Goulding has split from her boyfriend Armando Pérez, MailOnline can reveal. Friends of the couple say their Christmas romance failed and they had very different lives.
Photos taken in February showed Ellie frolicking in the sea with Armando, prompting the star to issue a statement confirming her marriage to Casper Jopling was over.
Ellie met Armando while on vacation with friends in Costa Rica over New Year’s. Here she was pictured looking relaxed sunbathing with Armando before their surfing lesson.
Ellie and her ex-husband, Caspar Jopling, confirmed their separation in February this year.
Armando, 29, was used to spending his days teaching classes in the water and running barefoot in a swimsuit, and felt more comfortable enjoying his “quiet life” without the “drama” of being in the public eye, the source added. .
‘They had a very special time together and she visited the country a lot.
‘But they are from very different origins. She is a big pop star from England, while Armando’s entire life takes place here in Playa Hermosa. He loves it here and I doubt he has any plans to leave.
‘Their lives are very different and so it was natural that they both eventually moved on.
“But they are still great friends.”
The couple met earlier this year, when Ellie had gone to the Central American resort for a yoga and surf retreat with two close friends, actresses Emily Wickersham and Alessandra Ford Balazs, where they rented a stylish hillside villa.
The holiday was a break for Ellie after she privately split from her husband, art dealer Caspar Jopling, 31.
The holiday was a break for Ellie after she privately split from her husband, art dealer Caspar Jopling, 31.
During the holidays she met Pérez after taking surfing lessons, and when photos emerged of them in swimsuits kissing passionately in the sea, Ellie made the decision to make public that her five-year marriage to Jopling had come to an end.
Confirming the end of his marriage on Instagram, the musician wrote: ‘In light of recent stories, I feel I have no choice but to let everyone know that Caspar and I privately separated some time ago.
Despite their eight-year age difference, sources say there was obvious chemistry between Ellie and her surf instructor boyfriend from the start, as they were photographed in Costa Rica.
Such was the attraction between the British pop star and her Costa Rican surf instructor that she flew to the Central American country no less than six times in five months to see him.
On one of those trips, Ellie and Armando were photographed walking along the coast near Santa Teresa in May. A source told MailOnline their friendship had simply faded.
Armando (left) and his brother Gero run La Puente Surfhouse and $70-a-night lodge on the west coast of the Central American paradise that Ellie has visited several times this year.
“We remain closest friends and have successfully co-parented with our son’s best interests in mind.”
In the months following this announcement, Ellie repeatedly flew thousands of miles to Playa Hermosa, a long stretch of coast known as a surfer’s paradise, to spend a vacation with her toyboy lover.
According to the newspaper El Observador, he made this trip up to six times in just five months, usually staying a week straight, sometimes more.
During these trips, Mr. Perez gave Ms. Goulding more private surfing lessons, and they were also seen running along the beach together, swimming and relaxing, shopping and dining.
On one date, they were photographed walking along the beach together to surf at sunset, with him hugging her waist as they laughed together.
In a statement in February, the musician wrote: “In light of recent stories, I feel I have no choice but to let everyone know that Caspar and I privately separated some time ago.”
Her ex-husband Casper, a wealthy art dealer, added: Ellie and I remain close friends and, most importantly, ‘co-parents’ to the best boy in the world, Arthur.
Ellie and Caspar married in August 2019 at York Minster, but their marriage is now over
The singer also shared on her Instagram several snapshots of herself on these trips, on the beach of Playa Hermosa or exploring the tropical jungle in the interior of Costa Rica.
Mrs. Goulding was also said to write and record music on these trips while relaxing.
During these months, Perez is understood to have also visited her in London on at least one occasion, and allegedly watched her perform to a live crowd from backstage.
But since the summer, Goulding, who recently released a new album, has not returned to Costa Rica.
One local said: ‘Their lives are very different so it was natural for the relationship to take its course.
‘Ellie is a world-famous pop star. But Armando’s entire life is based on Playa Hermosa. He loves it here and I doubt he wants to leave forever.
Perez, who spends most of his days in the water and running barefoot in a swimsuit, enjoys his “quiet life” without the “drama” of being in the public eye, they added.
Since announcing their separation, which is expected to culminate in a formal divorce, Ellie and Jopling appear to remain on good terms and are understood to be happily raising their three-year-old son Arthur.
The couple married five years ago surrounded by famous friends such as Sienna Miller, Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry.
They then welcomed the birth of their son in April 2021.
Pérez runs the prestigious La Puente Surfhouse with his brother Gero, as the family grew up in a nearby wooden house surrounded by trees.
The bio on their website says: ‘The waves of Playa Hermosa are my home and I am a very good host. As a surf instructor I will guide you step by step to the line-up and guarantee you at least one ‘wave of the day’.
Ellie was photographed living it up in Costa Rica while enjoying a winter getaway with friends on the trip where she met the handsome surf instructor who she would visit at least six more times.
‘Together we read the sea until you understand it for yourself.’
While the surf lodge is currently undergoing renovations, both tall, tanned and chiseled brothers still offer private lessons to anyone interested.
Perez’s other clients include another pop star, Shakira, whom Perez tutored last June while she was staying at the private beachside villa belonging to supermodel Gisele Bündchen and her now ex-husband, American football star Tom Brady.
The small surf town filled with twenty-somethings and hipsters in skimpy swimsuits was a world away from Ellie’s life in London.
Celebrities from around the world, including Beyonce, Zac Effron and Mark Zuckerberg, flock to the secluded villas hidden in the hills.