One day after disclosing the “truth” about his sexual orientation, Shawn Mendes was spotted in Los Angeles on Tuesday, sharing an embrace with musician Mike Sabath.
The 26-year-old Stitches hitmaker, who appeared to address gay rumors in a new song called “The Mountain,” was seen packing bags into a parked car with the 26-year-old fellow musician.
Earlier this week on Monday, Mendes expressed that he was still ‘figuring out’ his sexuality during a concert at the red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado.
Shawn, who once dated Camila Cabello, wore a simple white shirt and loose-fitting denim trousers to keep things casual.
To stay comfortable in the chilly weather, the celebrity covered the ensemble with a plaid jacket that had a fluffy trim around the neck.
For the occasion, Sabath also wore a yellow blouse with short sleeves and a pair of comfortable white trousers.
The record producer slipped into a pair of brown boots and wore a long-sleeved blouse underneath.
The two paused to give each other a firm embrace in the California sun as they loaded their bags into a stylish car.
In addition to working together on music, Shawn and Mike have been good friends for many years.
Sabath, who has collaborated with Selena Gomez, Lizzo, and Meghan Trainor, was the producer and composer of Shawn’s song “It’ll Be Okay” in 2021.
In addition, Sabath is a producer on Mendes’ fifth studio album, Shawn, which is scheduled for release on November 15 of next month.
One day after the Treat You Better singer opened up to his fans during a performance at the Red Rock Amphitheatre on Monday, they went on their most recent adventure in Los Angeles.
During a private moment of his For Friends and Family Tour, the Canadian-born celebrity addressed the audience and revealed the “truth” about his romantic life.
He continued, calling it “kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes.” “There’s this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it for so long,” he said.
“The truth is, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone else when it comes to my life and sexuality.”
For me, it always seemed like such an infringement on something very private. I was trying to figure out something about myself that I had not yet found and still have not found.
And because our society has a lot to say about that, it feels incredibly unsettling. And I’m making a concerted effort to be extremely brave and just let myself feel things and be a human. And for the time being, that is all I truly want to say about that.
“I was really young when I started,” Shawn added. I was fifteen years old. In actuality, I didn’t get to experience many of the things that people do when they’re fifteen and learn about aspects of themselves.
When introducing his new song, “The Mountain,” at the performance, the singer talked about his sexual orientation.
‘You can claim I’m too young/You can say I’m too old/You can say I like girls or guys, whichever suits your mold,’ is one of the song’s lyrics.
“Writing the song felt really important to me because it felt like a moment where I could address it in a way that felt close to my heart,” he added, discussing his experience writing the new song.
“And I suppose I’m just talking freely now, because I just want to be able to be in my truth and be closer to everyone.”
He previously addressed rumors over his sexual orientation in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2018. At the time, he claimed, “I thought, ‘You f*g guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out.'”
There are fatalities from that. It is really sensitive. Are the tracks to your taste? Are you fond of me? Does it matter whether I’m gay?
He also talked about how he felt pressured to prove he wasn’t gay by going out with women.
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Shawn described rumors about his sexual orientation as “hurtful.”
“There were some people in my life that I was very very close to, and they were gay and in the closet,” he said, adding that it was quite frustrating for him.
And I was genuinely angry with those people. It’s really difficult. You’d like to state, “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’re not really sure how to react to the circumstance.
Since I was fifteen years old, everyone has been calling me gay. “What does that mean?” I ask myself, not being gay. I was having issues with the sound of my voice. “How do I sit?” I ask.
“I really suffered with that s**t because I’m always the first to cross my legs and sit in this feminine position.”
In a 2016 Snapchat message to his supporters, he also categorically denied being gay and urged them to focus on his career.
Shawn’s sexual orientation has been the subject of intense debate, but he has only ever dated women in public, like fellow singer Camila.
The acid-tongued song “Taste,” which Sabrina Carpenter just made news for, is said to be directed at Shawn and Camila.
In 2023, during a lull in Shawn’s protracted, intermittent relationship with Camila, Sabrina was temporarily connected to him.
Shortly after his dating rumors with Sabrina, Shawn and Camila publicly reconciled, although they have since broken up once more.
After becoming public as a romance in the summer of 2019, Mendes and Cabello split up in 2021. They got back together for a brief reunion last year but broke up again after six weeks.
Shawn’s song Why, Why, Why, which he did not name, was released this summer and talks about a pregnancy fear that “shook me to my core.”
Last year, he also fueled romance rumors with his 52-year-old chiropractor, Dr. Jocelyne Miranda.
In 2023, Shawn was also connected to Charlie Travers of Big Brother UK.
