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Shawn Mendes slams 'ignorant and insensitive' speculation around his sexuality - Attitude Skip to main content
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Home Culture Culture Film & TV

Shawn Mendes slams ‘ignorant and insensitive’ speculation around his sexuality

"There was a desperation for me to come out as being gay, which is such a ridiculous thing"

By Jamie Tabberer

Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Glen Luchford

Shawn Mendes has slammed speculation around his sexuality as “ignorant and insensitive.”

The singer – who is in a relationship with Havana singer Camila Cabello – addresses the subject in a new interview with The Guardian.

Shawn – whose fourth album Wonder came out last week – says the rumours were especially hurtful because he has friends who have struggled with their sexualities.

“I got upset because I know people who are gay”

“There was a desperation for me to come out as being gay, which is such a ridiculous thing,” the 22-year-old said.

 
 
 
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A post shared by Shawn Mendes (@shawnmendes)

“I got upset because I know people who are gay who haven’t come out and I know the suffering they experience because of that.

“It’s just completely ignorant and insensitive of people to be on that shit.” 

The Stitches singer also spoke of his relationship with success in the interview, saying: “I asked myself: why is it so valuable to me to be such a successful musician? Is success just something that feeds my ego or is it really great? And I found it was something that was feeding my ego, and I just wasn’t going to feed that any more.

“The more success you have, the more fearful you are of losing it, so you become desperate.”

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