Ed Sheeran's Marriage Woes Shines Through Aptly Titled Album
By Afouda Bamidele on November 30, 2025 at 7:30 PM EST
Did Ed Sheeran hint at trouble within his marriage to Cherry Seaborn?
The "Shape of You" hitmaker seemingly made shocking confessions about his relationship on the deluxe edition of his September 2025 album, "Play." The 13 additional songs featured emotional lyrics of a man struggling to save his marriage.
Ed Sheeran secretly tied the knot to Cherry Seaborn in December 2018, three years after reconnecting thanks to a mutual friend. They have since welcomed two children, daughters Lyra Antarctica and Jupiter.
Ed Sheeran Pours Out His Heart In Deluxe Edition Of 'Play'
Sheeran is well-known for his emotional lyrics, frequently taking inspiration from life and those around him. However, his new songs feel a little closer to home than ever, with the chart topper belting out what appeared to be cracks in his marriage to Seaborn.
On the aptly titled song "Problems," Sheeran seemingly implied the love that once burned brightly between him and Seaborn had lost its spark. "Flowers in our garden are dying / When did the water run dry? / Who can tell? / But you want the truth, we're not fine," he sang.
In another track analyzed by TMZ, Sheeran appeared to imply that he had contemplated ending his marriage. The lyrics of the song titled "War Game" read: "Inches from movin' out and movin' on ... either in love or we're insane."
The Grammy Award-Winning Singer Reflected On His Parenting Struggles
The deluxe edition of his latest album continued with Sheeran's confessions about his parenting struggles. On the track "Regrets," he reflected on how his three-year Mathematics World Tour had impacted his relationship with his daughters.
The emotional lyrics of the song captured Sheeran's regrets as a father, lamenting how he missed out on key moments in his daughters' lives. "You're too young to understand that Daddy's coming home / Every time I leave the house, you think I'm forever gone," part of the lyrics reads.
"Guess it's from the hundred calls, goodnights on the telephone / See this tour, I've gotta get it done, but why though? / Missed out on so much, I really need to make it up," Sheeran continued.
These heartfelt lyrics weren't new in the singer's albums, as he seemingly poured out his heart in his 2023 album, "Autumn Variations."
The Guitarist's 2023 Album Hinted At His Relationship Woes
Sheeran sparked similar concerns about his marriage in 2023 due to the heart wrenching lyrics of multiple songs on his album. The Blast covered the story, reporting that the track "Punchline" raised eyebrows for depicting what some saw as Seaborn's decision to leave.
The lyrics saw Sheeran singing about not seeing his lover in weeks and being stuck by himself while plagued by negative thoughts. He stressed that he couldn't help but love her and refused to let go without a fight.
"I still feel like we could work it out or something. All I am is only flesh and bone. Why's your heart so freezing cold?" part of the lyrics reads. In another track, "Page," Sheeran reflected on being in love with someone's ghost while living in hell and pretending it's heaven.
The English Singer-Songwriter Shared The Inspiration Behind His 2023 Album
Months before the 2023 album's debut, Sheeran opened up about the inspiration behind the emotional songs in a 2022 interview. He explained that he was motivated to write about his feelings and those of the people around him.
Sheeran said that he went through a challenging year, and so did a couple of his friends, so writing songs about what happened from his perspective as well as theirs helped him come to terms with what happened. It was unclear if his wife was linked to any of these songs.
According to PEOPLE, Sheeran and Seaborn have known each other since they were 11 years old. They attended the same school and were close pals for a long time before losing touch when the entertainer went on tour, and Seaborn headed to Duke University in North Carolina.
Inside Ed Sheeran's Relationship With Cherry Seaborn
After years apart, Sheeran and Seaborn reconnected in 2015 after a mutual friend linked them up in New York City. Naturally, their relationship began to turn romantic, with the couple having one of their first dates at Taylor Swift's Rhode Island mansion.
Things between them quickly heated up, with Sheeran revealing Seaborn was the inspiration behind "Perfect," a ballad on his 2017 "รท (Divide)" album. He wrote the song about his wife after they attended a party at James Blunt's house.
A year later, Sheeran and Seaborn quietly got married in December 2018 in a private ceremony with only 40 guests. They welcomed their first daughter, Lyra Antarctica, in 2020, and their second child, Jupiter, in 2022.
Is Ed Sheeran's marriage in trouble?
