Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has gone public with his affection for girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, following her return to Instagram after a four-month hiatus. The 21-year-old footballer reacted to her comeback post with a green heart emoji, to which Castro replied with a kissing-face emoji — a subtle but clear public display of affection.
The couple first made headlines in January when their relationship became public. Since then, they’ve been spotted together on several occasions, including at the Santiago Bernabéu, where they were seen watching a match alongside Bellingham’s mother, Denise. They also appeared together after Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against Manchester City earlier this season.
Ashlyn Castro, 27, is a model and influencer with a combined following of over 600,000 on Instagram and TikTok. However, the early days of her relationship with Bellingham have been marked by widespread internet speculation and unfounded rumors. A viral video circulated online attempting to link her romantically with multiple celebrities — including Michael B. Jordan, LaMelo Ball, Terance Mann, Lewis Hamilton, and Jamie Foxx — based largely on social media interactions.
In response, Castro recently released an emotional 10-minute video on TikTok titled “The hardest part is not speaking the truth, but finding the courage to do it.” In the video, she firmly denied allegations of infidelity and clarified that she has only been in three relationships over the past eight years.
She explained that her first public relationship, which began in 2017, thrust her into the spotlight and subjected her to intense online scrutiny.
“There was nothing on the internet about me prior,” she said. “So people kind of just made up a bunch of things to justify hating me because of who I was dating at the time. Every angle you can think of, people have attacked me, harassed me, been so disrespectful. It’s just been too much.”
Though she admitted it was difficult to speak publicly about her private life, Castro said she felt compelled to set the record straight. She confirmed that one of her past relationships was with NBA player Terance Mann, who has publicly defended her.
“Ashlyn is cool, people,” Mann said during a livestream. “I don’t know why everybody is on her head about anything. Me and Ash are cool.” He also dismissed any rumors of cheating, adding, “Calm that narrative down.”
Despite the online drama, Bellingham and Castro appear to be unfazed, continuing to grow their relationship in the public eye while tuning out the noise.
