“I Was Breaking”: Ed Sheeran Opens Up About His Year From Hell and the Friend Who Pulled Him Back

For the world, Ed Sheeran was still selling out stadiums, topping charts, and smiling for cameras.

But behind the scenes, the singer-songwriter has now revealed that one of the most successful periods of his career coincided with what he describes as the darkest year of his life.

In recent reflections, Sheeran opened up about a relentless chain of personal tragedies, legal battles, and emotional exhaustion that pushed him to the edge — and how one longtime friend, Taylor Swift, quietly helped him survive it.

Sheeran’s “year from hell” did not arrive all at once.

It unfolded slowly, like a storm gathering strength.

The death of his closest friend Jamal Edwards hit first, leaving a wound that never fully healed.

Soon after, his wife Cherry Seaborn was diagnosed with a tumor while pregnant, a reality Sheeran has described as terrifying and paralyzing.

At the same time, he found himself embroiled in high-profile lawsuits that questioned the originality of his music — attacks that struck at the very core of his identity as an artist.

In public, Sheeran kept going.

In private, he was unraveling.

He has spoken candidly about experiencing anxiety, depression, and moments where the pressure felt unbearable.

Writing music, once his refuge, became painful.

Performing felt mechanical.

Even joy felt distant.

“I was functioning,” he admitted, “but I wasn’t really living.”

The lawsuits, in particular, weighed heavily on him.

Being accused of stealing music — something he insists goes against everything he stands for — left him feeling humiliated and angry.

He has said that if he lost one of the cases, he would consider quitting music entirely.

For someone who built his life around songwriting, the threat wasn’t just financial — it was existential.

It was during this period that Taylor Swift’s role in his life became more visible, though still largely behind the scenes.

The two artists have shared a friendship for over a decade, one rooted in mutual respect long before either reached their current level of fame.

Swift was one of the first major artists to take Sheeran on tour early in his career, and their bond has endured the pressures of superstardom.

According to Sheeran, Swift didn’t offer dramatic speeches or public gestures.

Instead, she offered something far more valuable: presence.

Long phone calls. Honest conversations.

A reminder that success does not cancel out pain — and that struggling does not mean failing.

Swift herself has spoken openly about navigating public scrutiny, creative ownership battles, and emotional burnout.

Friends say she recognized the signs in Sheeran immediately.

She encouraged him to slow down, to protect his personal life, and to stop believing that constant output was the only measure of worth.

One of the most pivotal moments came when Sheeran retreated from the spotlight entirely.

He stopped touring, reduced his public appearances, and focused on his family.

During this time, Swift reportedly reinforced the idea that stepping back was not weakness, but survival.

“You don’t owe anyone your destruction,” she is said to have told him, according to those close to the singer.

The music that eventually emerged from this period reflected the pain he had endured.

Raw, stripped-back, and deeply personal, it marked a departure from the polished pop anthems that defined his earlier success.

Songs dealt openly with grief, fear, and the quiet terror of nearly losing everything that mattered.

Fans noticed the change immediately.

The cheerful everyman image gave way to something more fragile — and more real.

Critics praised the honesty, while listeners connected deeply with the vulnerability.

For Sheeran, it wasn’t about commercial performance anymore.

It was about survival.

Looking back, he admits that without his inner circle, the outcome could have been very different.

But Taylor Swift’s role stands out not because she “fixed” anything, but because she understood.

She didn’t minimize his pain or rush him toward solutions.

She simply made space for him to exist without expectation.

Today, Ed Sheeran describes himself as more grounded, more protective of his boundaries, and far more aware of his mental health.

He still loves music, but no longer at the cost of his wellbeing.

The year that nearly broke him also reshaped him — stripping away illusions and forcing him to confront what truly mattered.

As for Swift, she has never publicly taken credit for her role, and Sheeran has never framed her as a savior in a dramatic sense.

Instead, he describes her as a steady voice in chaos — someone who reminded him that even in the darkest moments, he was not alone.

In an industry obsessed with success, Ed Sheeran’s story is a reminder that fame does not shield against loss, fear, or collapse.

Sometimes, the most powerful lifeline isn’t a hit song or a sold-out tour — it’s a friend who stays on the line when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.