The Dark Side Of Elle King's Secret Marriage To Andrew Ferguson
This article contains references to domestic assault and substance abuse.
Celebrities are no strangers to whirlwind romances, but few did it quite like Elle King. The "Ex's and Oh's" singer's path crossed with her future husband, Andrew Ferguson, in a hotel lobby in January 2016. During an appearance on "Say Yes to the Dress," King recalled their instantaneous connection. "It was like we had known each other for ten years," she shared. "We hung out all night, it was my last day in London, and he was like, 'You can't go home.' And I didn't get on my flight, and I stayed in London. Two days later, he quit his job and moved to America."
Their relationship showed no signs of slowing down with Ferguson popping the question soon after. They tied the knot in private on Valentine's Day 2016. In fact, their wedding ceremony was so secretive that even King's mother didn't make the guest list. In total, Ferguson and King had known each other for three weeks at the time. The newlyweds sought to make things right for their friends and family, so they decided to have a wedding ceremony in April 2017.
However, the "Drunk" hitmaker never made it down the aisle. On the night of the wedding, King took to Instagram to proudly share that she had ditched her nuptials to watch an Eagles of Death Metal concert from side-stage instead. While the early days of the celebrity couple's romance sounded like a rom-com, things didn't follow the script for long, and King soon realized that she'd jumped into things too quickly.
Ferguson reportedly physically assaulted King
In an October 2018 interview with People, Elle King admitted that she quickly realized that she didn't know her husband, Andrew Ferguson, the way that most married couples do. The singer-songwriter also got introspective about her decision to wed Ferguson after a mere three weeks of knowing him. "Before we even met, I had started kind of losing my mind," she confessed. "I was just searching for any kind of connection and realness [...] Just f**** begging for love."
Eventually, the couple couldn't ignore their differences anymore, and in May 2017, King announced their split in a since-deleted Instagram post. A few days later, TMZ reported that Ferguson had been physically abusive towards King just a week before they called it quits. A source revealed to the outlet that the couple had a heated argument, during which Ferguson violently pushed King to the bed while grabbing her throat and threatening to kill her. When police arrived at the scene, they noticed the "America's Sweetheart" singer had noticeable marks around her throat and arms.
Ferguson reportedly explained the injuries occurred when he had pushed King out of harm's way as she was about to crash into a wall. Meanwhile, the country star wrote off the incident as the aftermath of a long night of partying and didn't wish to press charges against her then-husband. However, that wasn't the end of their romance because the couple reconciled in 2018. King later offered some insight into her thought process behind giving the marriage another shot.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
She self-medicated to soften the blow of their split
In the since-deleted Instagram post announcing their reconciliation, Elle King detailed how she and Andrew Ferguson had worked out their differences simply by accepting their mistakes and agreeing to move past them together. Sadly, the couple's second shot at marriage didn't work and they split up later in the year. In a subsequent chat with People, the singer-songwriter confirmed that she had been diagnosed with PTSD and depression in the aftermath of the breakup.
"I was in a destructive marriage," King divulged. "I was at the lowest point in my life. I was not well. I couldn't look people in the eyes. I literally couldn't leave my house for weeks at a time." She even resorted to substance abuse because the heartache grew to be too much to bear. Eventually, King realized that she couldn't outrun the sadness and permitted herself to feel everything she had been trying to mask with drugs and alcohol. The "Lucky" hitmaker also poured her heart out to her family members, including King's father, Rob Schneider, with whom she has a complicated but close relationship.
The singer-songwriter was happy she'd reached out to her nearest and dearest because she would've ended up in a much darker place without them. King also gradually learned to be more loving and accepting towards herself before seeking external validation. However, it didn't take her long to find love because King got into a relationship with Dan Tooker in 2019 and the happy couple welcomed their first child in 2021.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).