Canadian singer Shawn Mendes has taken to Twitter to share a letter with his fans, expressing his desire to be more honest with himself and his followers.
In the post, Mendes talks about hiding his true self and feelings of failure in the note, which has left many fans speculating about the artist’s sexuality once again.
Despite being in a long-term relationship with fellow artist Camilla Cabello, rumours about Mendes’ alleged sexuality persist.
In the letter, Mendes writes that he is “afraid that if people know and see the truth, they might think less” of him. He goes on to say that he wants to show up in the world as his 100% true, honest, unique self and not care about what anyone thinks, but that this is a struggle for him most of the time.
Fans have responded with messages of support, with some assuming that this was a coming-out message. Others have expressed confusion about the message’s intent. Despite this confusion, some fans understood Mendes’ intent, with one user saying the message “felt like a hug”.
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) April 20, 2022
Mendes has been dealing with gay rumours since he was 15 years old, describing them as “frustrating” and the cause of some suffering.
He has previously spoken about the rumours, expressing how damaging they can be for those who are gay and in the closet. Mendes has also talked about feeling pressure to prove to people that he is not gay, saying that this has created complex feelings for him.
