10 Photos of Jude Bellingham's Girlfriend, Ashlyn Castro: Model Opens Up About Ill Mom and Late Dad

Ashlyn Castro, the California-born model linked with England midfielder Jude Bellingham, has spoken publicly about her mother's illness and the death of her father as photographs of the couple at the 2026 World Cup renewed attention on their private relationship. Castro was in the stands in Dallas on 17 June when Bellingham and England beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening group match, after which the pair were photographed sharing a kiss.

Neither Bellingham nor Castro has publicly confirmed details of their relationship. But their latest appearance was hardly subtle. Castro has attended England matches during the tournament and was photographed with Bellingham after the Croatia game, where he scored England's third goal.

Bellingham later described England's second-half performance as the point at which the side 'really showed what we are about,' following what he called a 'nervy' and 'cagey' first half. The footballer did not address his personal life in his official post-match comments, which is consistent with the couple's determination to keep that stuff out of the public conversation.

Ashlyn Castro Speaks Against Online Rumours

Castro addressed speculation around her personal life in a TikTok video posted in 2025, saying she had largely stayed silent online while strangers constructed a version of her dating history that she did not recognise. 'It makes me super uncomfortable talking on camera about my personal life,' she said. 'Because I haven't shared much of my actual life on the internet at all ever, people have created an entire past, dating history, attacked my morals and character off of nothing but lies from every way imaginable.'

She said the abuse had crossed a grim line, adding that people had 'showed up at my grandmother's house.' Castro also said she had had three boyfriends over eight years, beginning with a relationship in 2017 with a public figure. The comments were a rare and unusually personal intervention from someone whose public-facing work has otherwise centred on modelling, fashion, beauty, travel and content creation.

There is a slightly mad imbalance in how celebrity relationships now work. A picture at a tennis tournament or an embrace in a stadium can lead to thousands of posts, theories and recycled claims, while the people in those images may have said almost nothing themselves.

Castro and Bellingham were photographed together at the Madrid Open in April, while earlier reports placed them at a lunch in Madrid after a Real Madrid Champions League match against RB Salzburg in January 2025. Those sightings have fuelled the dating speculation, although the precise timeline of their relationship remains unconfirmed by either of them.

Her social media, meanwhile, does not appear to feature Bellingham. His Instagram account is similarly dominated by football and commercial partnerships. It is an old-school boundary, really, even if it is increasingly difficult to maintain.

Ashlyn Castro's Family Story

In the same TikTok address, Castro spoke about the family circumstances that made some of the online claims especially painful. She said her mother has schizophrenia and had been off medication for more than a decade, while also revealing that her father died several years ago.

'My mum is schizophrenic, she's been off her medication for over 10 years,' Castro said. 'I'm like shaking because I'm not ready to talk about this on the internet. This is extremely personal. This is my real life.' She continued, 'I lost my father a few years ago. My mum is mentally ill. I shouldn't have to talk about this but moving forward I will talk about things that are important such as mental health.'

The disclosure was not framed as a public-relations exercise or a relationship reveal. It was a response to what Castro said were sustained falsehoods about her life and character. Her decision to mention mental health suggested she hoped the experience could have a wider purpose, though she did not provide further details about her family.

Castro has built a substantial following as a model and influencer, with more than 700,000 Instagram followers, according to Elle. Yet the World Cup exposure has moved her beyond the usual influencer orbit, placing her alongside one of England's most scrutinised players during the country's biggest football tournament.

The images from Dallas have done the rounds because they offer a simple, instantly legible story, an England star, a World Cup win and a kiss in the crowd. Castro's own words tell a more complicated one.