Celebrity
Shawn Mendes Shares “Real Truth” About His Sexuality In Candid Speech
“I’m trying to be really brave.”
Shawn Mendes is well aware of the rumors regarding his sexual orientation. On Monday, Oct. 28, the singer addressed the speculation and candidly discussed his sexuality while performing onstage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
“The real truth about my life and my sexuality is, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone. I don’t really know sometimes and I know other times,” he said in a fan video filmed at the concert. “It feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that. I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to just be human and feel things. That’s all I want to say about that for now.”
The “Stitches” hitmaker also discussed how some fans have speculated about his sexuality since he was “really young,” adding, “I think it’s kind of silly because I think sexuality is a beautifully complex thing and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.”
He continued, “It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me. Something I was figuring out in myself. Something I had yet to discover and still have yet to discover.”
Mendes then performed an unreleased song, “The Mountain,” the lyrics of which allude to the speculation. “You can say I’m too young / You can say I’m too old / You can say I like girls or boys, whatever fits your mold,” he sings on the track.
Speaking to the crowd, Mendes recalled writing the new song, calling it a “really important” experience. “It felt like a moment where I could address it in a way that felt close to my heart,” he said. “I guess I’m just speaking freely now, because I just want to be able to be closer to everyone and just kind of be in my truth.”
“Frustrating” Speculation
Mendes, whose romantic history includes Camilla Cabello and Sabrina Carpenter, has spoken of rumors relating to his sexuality before.
During a 2020 appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, the singer said he found the speculation “frustrating,” adding, “It’s such a tricky thing. You want to say, ‘I’m not gay but it’d be fine if I was gay — but also there’s nothing wrong with being gay but I’m not.’ You don’t really know how to respond to the situation.”
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2018, Mendes also called out the dangers of speculating about someone’s sexuality online. “That’s something that kills people,” he said. “That’s how sensitive it is. Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay?”
