It started when he was fifteen. Just a kid from Ontario with a guitar and a Vine account, suddenly thrust into a world where millions of strangers felt entitled to dissect his every move. For over a decade, the same question has followed him like a shadow: is Shawn Mendes gay?
People analyzed how he sat. They scrutinized the pitch of his voice. They looked at his friendships and his high-profile breakups through a magnifying glass, searching for "clues." Honestly, it’s been a lot. And for a long time, Shawn’s responses felt like a defensive crouch—a series of "I'm not gay, but it’s fine if I was" statements that never quite seemed to quiet the noise.
But things changed recently. If you've been following his "For Friends and Family Only" tour or caught the clips from his Red Rocks show in late 2024, you saw a different Shawn. He wasn't just defending himself anymore. He was actually talking about the messy, confusing reality of being a human being in the spotlight.
The Night Everything Changed at Red Rocks
Imagine standing on a stage in Colorado, the air getting chilly, and deciding to finally put the rumors to bed—not with a "yes" or "no," but with total honesty. That’s basically what happened in October 2024. Before playing his song "The Mountain," Shawn took a long breath and told the crowd that his sexuality is something he’s still figuring out.
He didn't use a PR-approved script. He sounded nervous. "The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone," he told the audience. He called the years of speculation an "intrusion" on something deeply personal.
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It was a massive shift. For years, he’d felt this intense pressure to prove he was straight. In a 2018 Rolling Stone interview, he even admitted he felt like he had to be seen with girls in public just to "prove" he wasn't gay. That kind of anxiety is heavy. By 2026, it seems he’s finally decided to put that weight down.
Understanding "The Mountain" and the Lyrics
If you want to know where his head is at, you have to look at the music. "The Mountain" is basically his manifesto on this whole topic. The lyrics are pretty pointed:
"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’s essentially saying he’s done trying to fit into the boxes people built for him. Whether people think he's gay, straight, or anything else, he’s stopped making it his job to correct them. It’s a song about findng peace in the middle of a storm of opinions.
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Why the rumors persisted
- The "Vibe" Comments: Since his early days, commenters on YouTube and TikTok have claimed he gave off a "gay vibe," a term Shawn himself addressed as early as 2016.
- Mannerisms: He’s spoken openly about how he used to obsess over how he crossed his legs or moved his hands because he didn't want to seem "too feminine."
- High-Profile Romances: While he dated Camila Cabello for years and was linked to Sabrina Carpenter, some fans cynically viewed these as "PR relationships"—a claim that Shawn has consistently found frustrating and hurtful.
Who is Shawn Mendes Dating Now?
As of early 2026, the focus has shifted from rumors to a very public new romance. Shawn has been frequently spotted with Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine. They’ve been seen everywhere from grocery runs in Los Angeles to vacationing in Brazil.
Unlike some of his past relationships where he seemed to be trying to prove something, this one feels a bit more "real-life." They aren't hiding, but they aren't performing for the cameras either. Seeing him look relaxed with Bruna makes his comments about "just figuring it out" feel even more authentic. He’s allowing himself to experience love without needing to slap a permanent label on his soul for the sake of a headline.
The Harm of the "Glass Closet"
There’s this thing on the internet called the "glass closet," where fans insist a celebrity is queer and just hasn't come out yet. While it often comes from a place of wanting representation, it can be incredibly damaging.
Shawn has talked about how this speculation didn't just affect him—it affected his friends who actually were in the closet. He felt like if he denied being gay, he was implying there was something wrong with it. But if he didn't deny it, the rumors just got louder. It was a no-win situation.
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Experts in celebrity culture often point out that forcing someone to label themselves before they're ready can stunt their actual self-discovery. By 2026, the conversation around Shawn has finally started to lean more toward "let him live" rather than "tell us the truth."
What We Get Wrong About Celebrity Sexuality
We live in a world that loves a binary. You're either this or you're that. But as Shawn pointed out at Red Rocks, sexuality is "beautifully complex."
People grow. They change. They discover things about themselves at 26 that they didn't know at 15. The search for a definitive answer to "is Shawn Mendes gay" misses the point of what he’s actually trying to tell us. He’s telling us that he’s a work in progress.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're a fan of Shawn—or any artist navigating public scrutiny—here’s how to actually support them:
- Listen to the music, not the gossip. The most honest version of an artist is usually in their lyrics, not a paparazzi photo.
- Respect the process. Understand that "figuring it out" is a valid identity. Nobody owes the public a "coming out" moment on a deadline.
- Check the "Vibe" language. Stereotyping someone’s sexuality based on their voice or how they sit is exactly what Shawn said caused him the most "suffering."
- Value the vulnerability. When an artist says they are "scared" to talk about these things because of society’s reactions, believe them.
Shawn Mendes has spent half his life being a projection for other people's ideas of masculinity and romance. Whether he ends up identifying as gay, straight, or fluid isn't the headline anymore. The real story is that he’s finally stopped asking for permission to be himself.
To stay updated on his journey and upcoming music, you can follow Shawn's official social channels or check out his latest album, where he continues to explore these themes of identity and self-acceptance.