Shawn Mendes Says Those Gay Rumors About Him Are “Frustrating”

Shawn Mendes was on Dax Shepard‘s podcast, Armchair Expert, and it was the standard celebrity interview about projects and life in coronavirus–and social-distanced, of course. And since it’s Shawn, and those gay rumors follow him around like some sort of butterfly tattoo, he talked about them again and said that the rumors are “frustrating.”

22-year-old Shawn said that ever since he was 15 years old, everyone’s been labeling him as gay because he doesn’t sit like a dude and isn’t every level of “masculine.” And Shawn said that denying he’s gay has become a “a tricky thing.” (via E! News)

“It was so, so frustrating for me because there were some people in my life that I was very, very close to… who were gay and in the closet. And I felt this real anger for those people… You want to say, “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 don’t really know how to respond to the situation… Everyone’s been calling me gay since I was 15 years old. I’m not gay and I’m like, “What does that mean?” I had these problems with the way my voice sounded. I’m like, “How do I sit?” I’m always first to cross my legs and sit with a position of this feminine style and I really suffered with that shit.”

Shawn is singing the story of my life. I mean, I never struggled with crossing my legs I just flicked that shit right up and over like a showgirl–I’m just saying I sympathize. But Shawn tells us not to cry for him, Argentina, because there are people who have it worse. Like the real gays who are in the closet:

“I think a lot of guys go through that and, even worse than that, there are so many guys who are gay and in the closet and must be hearing shit like that and being like, “I’m terrified to come out.””

Shawn added that he didn’t grow up doing butch things and so a lot of who he is comes from how he grew up:

“I didn’t grow up wrestling. I grew up getting my hair braided on New Year’s Eve. It just completely depends on the way you grew up in your life and your surroundings.”

Does he mean braids like cornrows or does he mean like Monica when they went to Barbados on Friends? I hate both. But Shawn went on to talk more about handling the gay rumors:

“I’ve realized that we just have to stop having to be experts and politicians about it, especially as a famous musician who’s a guy. I need to be really fucking messy and say the wrong things and apologize and say the right thing after I apologize and be confused about how to respond when people say I’m gay.”

And, of course, he mentioned that his girlfriend Camila Cabello, is a big part of his emotional growth and other men should think about growing too:

“I’m in a relationship where my girlfriend is like, “We’re going to get in bed and you’re going to put your head on my chest and you’re going to cry into my chest. You’re going to tell me how you feel because if you don’t do that you’re just going to be an asshole for the next week and I’m not going to deal with that shit.” I’m just lucky to be in a relationship that’s for it… I think people are really quick to just say, “Well, he’s an artist so he gets a pass to be vulnerable and a pass to cry but most men shouldn’t.” Guys need to just be vulnerable. We need to cry. Stop thinking this is being brave and strong and start thinking is the opposite, actually… We’re holding in these emotions and not crying and being assholes. Nothing about that is nice.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIyUzSKJPfA/

So for Shawn, dealing with the gay rumors is exhausting, and well, his love with Camila is also “exhausting.” Poor, Shawn he’s tired either way!

Pic: Wenn.com