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Shawn Mendes has seemingly alluded to the ongoing love triangle rumors surrounding Sabrina Carpenter and Camila Cabello.
The “Lost in Japan” singer, 26, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, October 2, after fans were curious about his current relationship status with the “Havana” pop star. Most recently, Mendes appeared on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, where he revealed that he and Cabello have “done the best job at preserving our private little fire of love for each other.”
While the on-and-off couple broke up for a second time in June 2023, that didn’t stop fans from asking Mendes directly about his love life. “They don’t play about each other,” one user said on X, in response to the “Stitches” singer’s podcast comments.
“No we don’t,” Mendes wrote back.
When another fan asked Mendes to “clarify what you meant” about his relationship with Cabello, the “In My Blood” singer took the opportunity to address speculation regarding his past romances with both Carpenter and Cabello.
The “Espresso” singer – who released her sixth album, Short n’ Sweet, last August – was romantically linked to Mendes in 2023, two years after his first breakup with Cabello. In fact, many fans believe that the Short n’ Sweet tracks “Taste,” “Sharpest Tool,” and “Coincidence” are about her brief relationship with the Canadian singer.
The love triangle speculation was only furthered when Carpenter, Cabello, and Mendes were all in attendance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards last month. “You’re telling me Camila, Sabrina, AND Shawn are performing at the VMAs?? Diabolical,” one fan wrote on X, while another person said: “VMAs said we will serve drama this year by choosing Sabrina, Shawn and Camila to perform.”
That’s why Mendes seemingly decided to shut down the love triangle rumors by reaffirming his support for Cabello, whether it be romantic or just as friends. “I guess to be honest it came from a place of being a little annoyed with all the projection over the last few months about us,” he posted on X.
“I’m usually pretty good at just watching all the ‘noise’ go by but lately it’s been kinda bugging me,” Mendes said. “Feeling human I guess.”
In a follow-up post, he acknowledged that “quoting a tweet” about his relationship with Cabello will “start a little spin up.” However, Mendes maintained that he “just wanted to address” the fan speculation in order to have “a real honest relationship” with his fans.
“It’s pretty intimidating to come online and be honest and vulnerable considering how quickly our words can be twisted and used against us but tbh [to be honest] I really just care about having a real relationship with you guys, where I got you and you got me and all the rest is just noise,” Mendes added.
The “Treat Me Better” singer publicly confirmed his relationship with Cabello in 2019. However, the pair called it quits in November 2021. He was later spotted having dinner with Carpenter in early 2023, leading fans to believe the two were dating. By March that year, Mendes denied the rumors during an appearance on the Dutch TV show RTL Boulevard, saying: “We are not dating.”
Mendes and Cabello were then spotted kissing at Coachella in April 2023, sparking rumors that they had rekindled their romance. However, the former couple ended things for good just two months later.