Shawn Mendes Opens Up About His Sexuality, Fans Call for Privacy and Respect

“There’s this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it so long,” he shared. Mendes has faced rumors about being gay for years, dismissing them in the past and describing sexuality as “such a beautifully complex thing.” Now, he finds the constant speculation an intrusion, saying, “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.”

Shawn’s speech resonated with fans, who took to social media in his defense. Many fans echoed one user’s comment, “He shouldn’t have to open up about anything if he doesn’t want to.” Another wrote, “Can we normalize not prying on people’s sexuality?” Mendes himself addressed the relentless rumors in his song “The Mountain,” singing, “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 mould.”

Shawn has been open about the toll the speculation has taken, noting in 2020 that there was an “ignorant desperation” from people trying to label his sexuality. He emphasized that the speculation is not only invasive but also disrespectful to those in the LGBTQ+ community who may be struggling to come out.