Here’s everything you need to know about the alleged love triangle between Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, and Camila Cabello.
Sabrina Carpenter has just dropped her brand new album Short n’ Sweet and after listening to the album fans can’t stop buzzing about its apparent connections to Shawn Mendes. If you had not been aware that they were ever together, you are not alone. Whispers about the possible new couple started surfacing around February 2023 but soon fizzled out as Mendes was spotted rekindling a relationship with his ex, Camila Cabello. But after the release of Cabello’s C, XOXO and Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet, it looks like the drama may be juicier than we thought. Further adding to the drama, Mendes is also releasing his self-titled album this October, and it appears to be his rawest work yet. The rumour mill is now churning in full speed with speculations on what happened between the three A-lister Gen-Z popstars.
For those who were not tuned in to the gossip from the very beginning, Taste isn’t the first Sabrina Carpenter song that hinted at her relationship with Shawn Mendes. Carpenter released a Christmas EP Fruitcake in 2023 which featured a song called cindy lou who, which many speculated was hinting at the love triangle. And with the release of the steamy music video for Taste, fans are now quite convinced that she’s taking a dig at Mendes which puts the spotlight back on the brief relationship. Further fueling the drama, MTV has now confirmed that all three of them will perform at the 2024 VMAs. Will this diabolical lineup inspire more viewers to tune in? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, let’s deep dive into everything we know about the messy love polygon.
Let’s get you all caught up! Mendes and Cabello first met at the 2015 Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, while Camila was still a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony. Shawn and Fifth Harmony both opened for Taylor Swift on her massive 1989 World Tour and at that time the duo collaborated on the song I Know What You Did Last Summer. While they supported each other on social media, they denied any speculations about them dating.
A few years later, the two reunited for the song Señorita which dropped along with a sensual music video, reigniting the dating rumours. They soon confirmed their romance and were happier than ever. Shawn then admitted that he had been in love with her the whole time.
Their romance was thriving, with paparazzi capturing their PDA-filled photos and videos here and there. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the pair lived together in Miami and performed a live-stream concert sponsored by Global Citizen and the World Health Organisation. The couple also joined the Global Citizen’s One World: Together At Home broadcast on April 18, alongside other artists like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Lizzo.
In October 2020, Mendes began the press tour for his then-upcoming album Wonder and spoke about how Cabello supported his artistic vision. In this time, fans received many Instagram updates from the couple. In November of that year, they made a huge step forward in their relationship by adopting a dog together. Shawn Mendes’ Netflix documentary Shawn Mendes: In Wonder provided additional insight into their relationship. He even admitted that every song he has written is about Camila. In December 2020, the couple released The Christmas Song together which appears on the holiday deluxe version of Mendes’ new album, Wonder.
Shawn and Camila both posted adorable pictures of themselves together on Valentine’s Day 2021, proving that their relationship was still going strong. But in November 2021, trouble hit paradise, and the couple announced their mutual split in a joint statement.
A few weeks after the breakup, Shawn released the gut-punching heartbreak song It’ll Be Okay about a relationship on the verge of ending, clearly attributed to his relationship with Camila. In March 2022, Camila released Bam Bam (ft. Ed Sheeran) addressing the aftermath of their relationship. She sang, “You said you hated the ocean, but you’re surfin’ now / I said I’d love you for life, but I just sold our house / We were kids at the start, I guess we’re grown-ups now, mm / Couldn’t ever imagine even havin’ doubts / But not everything works out”. And at that time, Mendes was indeed surfing, she did sell their house, and they kind of did grow up together.
At the same time, Mendes released another single When You’re Gone, singing about how difficult it is to move on. He admitted the song was about Camila, saying to E!, “Camila heard this song months ago, so we have a really honest relationship. I would never really put a song out about her before she would hear it… She knows me and I know her, and ultimately, we both are writers and we both know what it is to make music and what the bigger picture of making art is. We’re supportive of that, always.”
About a year after Shawmila (Shawn and Camila’s ship name) split, Hollywood gossip site DeuxMoi said a tipster sent them a DM, sharing, “Spotted Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter on clearly a date at Horses anon pls. Thursday night.” It was the first time we heard about them together.
Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter spotted out together. pic.twitter.com/W4Vl03xIhr
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 27, 2023
Just a week later, UsWeekly blessed us with a picture of them walking together in LA, all smiles.
March 10th, Shawn and Sabrina attend a Miley Cyrus album release party, arriving separately, but leaving together. Shawn can be seen on the phone while giddily twirling before opening the door for Sabrina. pic.twitter.com/uoTO2SsWKb
— Shawn Crave (@ShawnCrave_) August 23, 2024
Sabrina and Shawn were once again spotted together at Miley Cyrus’s album party, and left the party together. Even though they attempted to avoid prying eyes by leaving one after the other. IYKYK.
Both singers attended the prestigious Vanity Fair‘s Oscars after-party. Even though they didn’t pose for pictures on the red carpet together, a video of them chatting and leaning on each other inside the party later went viral.
It also bears noting that Sabrina could not keep her eyes off Shawn during her red-carpet interview.
The very next day, ET published confirmation on the two’s relationship status, saying a source had confirmed to them that Sabrina and Shawn were in fact dating. “Shawn and Sabrina are seeing each other. They have been hanging out a lot and trying to keep things low-key. They were at a birthday party together a couple weeks ago and were cute together,” the source shares. “Shawn is happy.”
The source also cleared up the rumour that said Mendes had been dating his chiropractor Dr. Jocelyn Miranda. “He was never dating Dr. Jocelyn Miranda and it has never been romantic between them”.
Shawn has been wearing a necklace with Sabrina’s birthstone since January pic.twitter.com/X6OVszLRg6
— IcouldbeRed (@selenaitgirll) March 14, 2023
You can trust the fans to dig up the clues or theories their favourites were trying to hint at. They quickly pointed out that Mendes had been wearing a necklace with Sabrina’s necklace since January and he was also pictured with it at the Vanity Fair party. The realisation meant that the couple’s relationship was more than a situationship of a few short weeks.
Shawn told RTL Boulevard that he and Sabrina are not dating. But it wouldn’t be the first time he lied about being in a relationship…
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello spotted kissing at Coachella. pic.twitter.com/QK5r9I1VsK
— Pop Base (@PopBase) April 15, 2023
Shawn and Camila went to Coachella together, and soon, a video of them kissing and getting cosy went viral.
Many sources claimed at that time that they weren’t officially back together. “When they met up and kissed at Coachella, they were having fun and being in the moment together,” the source said. “They are both attracted to each other and care about one another a lot. They are having fun.” During this time, everyone just assumed Shawn and Sabrina were probably not a thing or were just casually hanging out together.
Mendes and Cabello were spotted in NYC going on dates and Shawmila fans were over the moon.
Sadly, the newly-rekindled relationship ended just as soon as it began. A source told ET that the rekindled romance didn’t work out, and the couple decided to break up again.
Sabrina released her Christmas EP Fruitcake which featured the song cindy lou who, which fans believed was about her brief relationship with Mendes. She sang ”Maybe he met you somewhere in the desert / While he was soul searching, he found someone better / Guess you make him happy like I couldn’t do / Cindy Lou Who / with your hair so long, lips so red / (Ooh) maybe we met once, I forget / (Ooh) scrolling five years back, I’m obsessed / Breaking my heart, ’tis the season, I guess.”
While promoting her new album C, XOXO Camila opened up about why she and Mendes got back together and split up again. “It’s crazy because I’m kind of impulsive in that way,” Cabello said to Billboard. “If I feel it, I say it. I would rather say it and see what happens and then wake up the next day and find out that it’s been heavily documented. I opted for that route. It is what it is. It was a fun time, it was a fun moment.” She went on to add, “I will always care about him and love him. He’s such a good person. I’m lucky ’cause some people have exes who are awful, and he is not. He’s a really kind, good person.”
About splitting up, she said, “it wasn’t even like a decision. I think you’re just kind of like, ‘Yeah this doesn’t really… it’s not a fit — it doesn’t feel right.’ Luckily, I was in a place in my life where… it took us both less time to be like, ‘This doesn’t feel right, and we don’t really need to try so hard to make it work. It’s all good, let’s move on.’”
Camila’s new album C, XOXO dropped with the song June Gloom, where she sings about the love triangle. The lyrics go “She’s cool, I heard / Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures / We’re a house fire, for sure / Hope it’ll burn out, but it just gets bigger / If she’s so amazing / Why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much / What are you here tryna find out?”
Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes sitting together at the Copa America final. pic.twitter.com/GzgMesEvbd
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) July 15, 2024
On July 14 2024, Mendes and Cabello were once again spotted together, enjoying a Copa América soccer game in Miami. There’s no confirmation about if they are back together or just friends.
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Sabrina explained why she named her album Short n’ Sweet. “I called it Short n’ Sweet for multiple reasons. It was not because I’m vertically challenged,” she said. “I thought about some of these relationships and how some of them were the shortest I’ve ever had, and they affected me the most.”
Do you think one of those short relationships was with Shawn Mendes?
Sabrina Carpenter released her new album Short n’ Sweet and fans are convinced that some of the songs are definitely about Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello and their alleged love triangle.
In the song Sharpest Tool, she wrote, “We never talk about how you / Found God at your ex’s house, always / Made sure that the phone was face-down / Seems like overnight, I’m just the bitch you hate now”. Again in the song Coincidence, she sang, “What a surprise, your phone just died / Your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs / Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side? / Damn it, she looks kinda like the girl you outgrew / Least that’s what you said”.
Both the songs refer to the guy getting back together with an ex, leaving her ‘dumbfounded’.
That’s not all. In Dumb & Poetic, Carpenter wrote “Try to come off like you’re soft and well-spoken / Jack off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen” and “You’re running so fast from the hearts that you’re breakin’ / Save all your breath for your floor meditation / You’re so empathetic, you’d make a great wife / And I promise the mushrooms aren’t changing your life”. To put it into perspective, Mendes has previously covered songs by Leonard Cohen. The singer is also well-known for promoting meditation, and has also admitted to experimenting with mushrooms during his hiatus from music.
Sabrina’s Taste music video, which features Jenna Ortega, depicts a fierce battle between the two over a man, which many believe is about the Mendes-Cabello-Carpenter love triangle. Ortega, who is aesthetically similar to Cabello, famously another 5’2’’ Latina brunette, makes the perfect stand-up. The ‘tasteless man’ (as the internet has dubbed him) is hinted to be Shawn Mendes. In the song, Carpenter also sings “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / you’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you,” which further supports the theory.
The album features numerous instances like this that point to Shawn and Camila as inspiration. Now can all of this be just a coincidence?
Camila hilariously joined the ongoing drama as she posted a clip of her lip-syncing to her song June Gloom on TikTok that tells her pov of the story.
Also, Shawn Mendes liked a carousel of pictures Camila Cabello shared amid the love triangle drama with Sabrina Carpenter.
Now you are all caught up with the ongoing drama. If any new major updates arrive, we’ll keep you posted!
(Main and featured image: Image: Matt Winklemey/Getty Images via AFP and Noam Galai/Getty Images via AFP)
Digital Writer, Fashion, Lifestyle and Entertainment
After graduating from Calcutta University, Pallabi started her writing career as a freelancer. "She's so pieces" is the phrase that describes her the best. Pallabi is another typical introvert who loves ..Read More
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