Ed Sheeran says his nine-year relationship with wife Cherry Seaborn has been 'completely changed' by the arrival of their two daughters, Lyra, 5, and Jupiter, 3. In interviews this week, the Perfect singer described parenthood as turning a couple into a unit and said the shift can be stressful and lead to big arguments.
He told The Sun that 'Cherry knows that she had songs like Heaven [on the new album] and Perfect, but that isn't reality 100 percent of the time. It is good to be honest.' He noted that he writes songs like Don't Look Down or Wargame and that they capture moments in time, not reality. 'That's not reality,' he said, adding that music often conveys heightened emotions and that people should be cautious about assuming a song maps exactly to their world.
Earlier this week, Sheeran gave a rare insight into life with Cherry at a surprise fan event in London during a Spotify Q&A, saying it was important to be honest about the ups and downs of any relationship. 'Cherry knows I write about everything - not just the good stuff,' he said. 'Songs like Perfect exist, but so do the ones about real conflict. That's part of any relationship, and I think it's important to be honest about it.' He also reflected on how his focus has shifted toward family and friends rather than work, noting that Cherry and their daughters will soon move to the United States with him when he tours. 'In my early career, it was 100 percent work, 0 percent personal life. Now it's 70 percent family, 30 percent music. Balance isn't just healthy - it's success. When I look back at these years with my family and friends, I want to say: I lived those days and I enjoyed every minute.'
Ed and Cherry first met at 11 while attending Thomas Mills High School in rural Suffolk. They parted ways after high school, reconnected in New York City in 2015, and started dating shortly after. Two years later he proposed in 2017, and the couple tied the knot in a low-key ceremony a few days before Christmas in 2018, before welcoming their two daughters. The pair have faced challenges in recent years, including a March 2023 revelation that Cherry was diagnosed with a tumor during her pregnancy with their second child. He said the couple were plagued by fear, depression and anxiety because she couldn't receive treatment until after birth.
In the docu-series, Cherry described how the cancer diagnosis prompted deep reflection on mortality. 'Long story short, I got diagnosed with cancer at the start of the year, which was a massive setback, but it made me reflect on our mortality,' she said. She added that she had never imagined doing something like this, but the year forced questions about what she would leave behind and how others would remember her.