How many times does Shawn Mendes have to confirm he’s not gay? The “Wonder” singer, 22, who’s has addressed the long-standing rumor about his sexuality since 2016, has had the same answer each time. And, the same goes for his latest interview on December 9. The only difference now is, he’s happily in a relationship with Camila Cabello.
“There was a desperation for me to come out as being gay, which is such a ridiculous thing,” Shawn told The Guardian after he was asked about accusations of being in a fake relationship with Camila — which sparked from rumors about his sexuality. “I got upset because I know people who are gay who haven’t come out yet and I know the suffering they experience because of that,” Shawn continued, adding, “It’s just completely ignorant and insensitive of people to be on that sh-t.”
Back in 2016, Shawn took to his Snapchat account to address rumors about his sexuality. In a series of several video messages, he declared that he was not gay despite the “gay vibes” fans had mentioned on social media.
In 2018, Shawn spoke about the matter again in an interview with HollywoodLife‘s sister site, Rolling Stone. “I thought, ‘You f-cking guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out,'” he told the magazine while speaking about how he was accused of being “too feminine.” The artist continued, “That’s something that kills people. That’s how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay? Maybe I am a little more feminine — but that’s the way it is,” he said, adding, “That’s why I am me.”
Shawn has been dating his longtime friend and frequent collaborator Camila Cabello since last July. The couple confirmed the romance after they were spotted acting very couple-y at a Fourth of July party. Shawn and Camila, who spent all of quarantine together at her parents home in Miami, are currently looking for their own abode in the same city, he told The Guardian.
Shawn went on to discuss the pitfalls of fame after the interviewer mentioned Justin Bieber‘s past issues in the spotlight, referring to the 2014 events as a “public meltdown.” To that, Shawn replied, “Being famous is crazy, it’s absurd. Having millions of people worldwide praise you and paparazzi follow you and show up at your front door every day while you’re trying to have a coffee is ridiculous,” he said.
The latter response led the interviewer to ask if Shawn had experienced his own “meltdown” in 2020. “Yes, in a very Shawnish way,” he admitted, describing it as a time when “I burnt out and had a meltdown within, but not externally.” When asked if he thought about quitting the music industry, Shawn said, “Yes,” explaining, “I came extremely close. Extremely, extremely close.” But then, “I realized it’s not the industry, it’s the way I do the industry. I let the industry control what I do, rather than me controlling my life,” he said.