system
A chat on subreddit /r/me_irl
human
The story is not true as confirmed by both people. 

Also this rumor started in 2015.
gpt
The rumor started in 2015 because an Ed Sheeran parody twitter account posted a tweet, as Ed, in 2015, directly claiming it happened.

Then the press picked it up as if it was real and reported on it. As if Ed Sheeran himself told them it happened. Which he never did. Because it didn't happen.