Shawn Mendes Addresses Rumours of His Sexuality to Long Speculating Fans

Singer and songwriter Shawn Mendes shocked fans at his latest show when he took a moment to openly address ongoing speculations about his sexuality, saying, “he’s just figuring it out like everyone else”.

Shawn Mendes addresses nearly decade-long rumours regarding his sexuality

The 26-year-old artist has been followed throughout his career by speculation from fans and people alike regarding his sexuality. Which is why it took fans by surprise when the hitmaker was finally confronting the rumours after for so many years.

On Monday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, fans captured footage of Mendes’ candid moment where he addressed fans on the long running question of his sexuality before performing his hotly debated single, ‘The Mountain’.

‘Sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing and it’s so hard to just put into boxes’

“Since I was really young, there’s been this thing about my sexuality and people have been talking about it for so long,” Mendes said during his concert “And I think it’s kind of silly because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.”

Shawn Mendes opens up about his sexuality:

“The real truth about my life and sexuality is that, man I’m just figuring it out like everyone. I don’t really know sometimes and I know other times. It feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that” pic.twitter.com/5AvgPePXzp

— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 29, 2024

Mendes continued that the speculation “always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me, something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover and still have yet to discover.”

Although the rumours have followed Mendes for a long time, his latest single, ‘The Mountain’, in which the singer writes “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,” and a clip from Interview Magazine, drove fans and news outlets alike into overdrive, sparking further speculation from the internet urging him to ‘come out of the closet already’.

Shawn Mendes shares screenshots on his phone with @InterviewMag. pic.twitter.com/CayEctpYpJ

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 25, 2024

I’m convinced Shawn Mendes found out he liked men late in his life and he won’t come out because he doesn’t wanna give people the satisfaction of being right after years of denying it. https://t.co/R5v3RczNLJ

— free palestine. (@RubyQuartzVsr) October 26, 2024

I used to be a staunch Shawn Mendez is heterosexual truther, but I can’t defend this…. https://t.co/vZrZ35sXrJ

— Shamir (@ShamirBailey) October 25, 2024

tight ass shirt.. belly showing… screenshots of men and their hands… this man is gay asf https://t.co/oS13fm31OD pic.twitter.com/LVWvTYJF7t

— ssᴉʍs°🦦 (@SHABBAINLA) October 26, 2024

 

Internet divided by Mendes’ response

Fans are divided by Mendes’ statement, with some claiming his address was a ‘cop out’, or ‘queerbaiting’ whereas others felt bad for the star as intrusively speculating on stars’ sexuality is growing rampant in recent years. Which has resulted in forcibly making pop culture figures speak out on the intimate matter, ultimately leaving fans with mixed feeling and the celebrities in an uncomfortable position in the public eye. 

i’’ve never seen so many people obsessed with one man’s sexuality. it’s really no one’s business including mine because i used to question it myself. i honestly feel like he’s terrified of what will happen to his career if he openly admits he’s anything other than heterosexual. https://t.co/chbcpnCSnF pic.twitter.com/rAoiOysTig

— — C | A | M | E | R | O | N — (@its1stclassCAM) October 29, 2024

quite frankly I think the fact that he feels a need to even make this statement because despite his previous ones the internet was insistent on saying he’s queer (including calling him slurs) is just unfair. because now you made it unsafe and uncomfortable for him to explore it https://t.co/CPDKxDJW19

— bri (@bribrisimps) October 29, 2024

On the other, perhaps less online, hand, most people couldn’t care less about Mendes’ statement or his sexuality.

Shawnn please. We dont care 😭 just come out or dont. No ones forcing you, please 😭 https://t.co/YPEcOfqdJT

— VogueChild (@VogueChilee) October 29, 2024

In my opinion, the intrusive speculation on celebrities, or anyone’s, sexuality is quite weird and needs to taken down by several notches, why are we doing that? Let people live their lives and address such an intimate and personal thing on their own terms instead of inadvertently outing them or bullying them into making a vague statement.