Shawn Mendes Finally Addressed His Love Triangle Drama

Throughout the summer and fall, fans buzzed about Shawn Mendes, Sabrina Carpenter, and Camila Cabello’s rumored love triangle. The singers’ music fed the frenzy with songs like Carpenter’s “Taste” and Cabello’s “June Gloom,” and they’re still not done dropping hints. Shawn Mendes was the first guest on John Mayer’s new SiriusXM show, How’s Life, and he opened up about what it’s like to have exes writing songs about him and how he should have handled the complicated romantic situation.

During the sit-down, Mendes and Mayer commiserated over being the target of public backlash due to songs presumed to be about them. Mendes ended up giving context on his past drama, and though he didn’t name names, the situation sounded very much like the rumored love triangle with Carpenter and Cabello. The story, according to internet sleuths, goes that Mendes had a brief relationship with Carpenter in March 2023, but ended things with her to reunite with Cabello, whom he’d dated for years.

Mendes explained that he had a “timing” issue. “I’m always gauging whether it’s worth talking about the details in these situations,” he said, “but like, for instance, being with someone two days before seeing your ex and communicating two days before that that you’re going to hang out with your ex.”

Clarifying for Mayer, he explained he was “with someone” when he told the person that he’d made plans to meet up with his ex. “I — two days before going to hang out with my ex — express, ‘I’m going to go out with my ex, because I have unresolved feelings,’” he said.

Mendes reflected on how he could have handled it better, saying, “Maybe instead of two days, it could have been two weeks.” He also explained that tries to “really understand if it isn’t right” in a relationship and listens for a “whisper in [his] gut.” His lesson was that he can’t keep concerns to himself.

“That’s what I’ve just learned, in my life, is if I’m having doubts about someone or about anything, to give that person the opportunity to talk about it with me,” he said.

One sticking point for Mendes, however, was that he didn’t necessarily agree with how the situation was portrayed. “It’s a funny feeling to feel like you’re being written about and, like, maybe the whole picture is not being expressed,” he said.

Mayer, who is infamously thought to be the subject of Taylor Swift’s 2010 song “Dear John,” seemed quick to side with Mendes. “It’s hard for anyone to learn, let me say, that being upset will distort someone’s reality, and you’re not going to get a song from anyone who had their feelings hurt that’s going to be a reportage of what happened,” he said.

Despite everything, when Mayer asked Mendes if the experience has given him any “lingering trauma,” the Shawn singer said he wouldn’t be opposed to dating a songwriter in the future. “It’s a no-brainer to me that the suffering that is from hearing a song maybe talking about you in a way you don’t want to be talked about is not even close to the beauty of falling in love with someone for the first time,” he said. “It’s not even a question.”