The rumor Mendes hates

Shawn Mendes admits he is upset about a widespread rumor about his sexuality, said Patrick Doyle in Rolling Stone. The pop star, 20, is enjoying wild commercial success, with three consecutive No. 1 albums, but is exasperated by “this massive, massive thing for the last five years about me being gay.” On social media, fans analyze his gestures and body language and proclaim him definitely gay; he admits studying videos of himself to see if he is acting effeminately. He grew up with 15 female cousins, “braiding hair and painting nails. Maybe I am a little more feminine.” But that, he insists, doesn’t mean he’s gay. “In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone—like a girl—in public, to prove to people that I’m not gay. Even though I know it’s not a bad thing, there’s still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me.”

Last Christmas, he was reading online comments speculating about his sexuality when he decided he’d had enough. “I thought, ‘You f---ing guys are so lucky I’m not actually gay and terrified of coming out.’ That’s something that kills people.” He wishes the rumors would stop, and he also wishes he didn’t care so much. “Do you like the songs? Do you like me? Who cares if I’m gay?”