No, you are not getting déjà vu: Sabrina Carpenter is once again in the middle of another alleged love triangle. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably come across plenty of speculation surrounding Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, and Camila Cabello since the “Espresso” star dropped her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, on August 23, 2024.
While Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes’s on-and-off relationship has been the subject of fan speculation for years, the rumor mill has been churning faster than ever as fans try and dissect clues seemingly sprinkled by not only Carpenter but also Cabello in new songs. And it all, of course, points to Mendes — at least according to fan theories.
While none of the stars have publicly commented on or even confirmed the supposed love triangle, Carpenter recently admitted she gets “why people are interested,” referring to the inspirations behind her songs. “They can listen to my album and decide for themselves what the songs are about,” she recently told W. And, well, that’s exactly what people have been doing.
In case you need a refresher before we get into the timeline: before she started dating Barry Keoghan, Sabrina Carpenter briefly sparked romance rumors with Shawn Mendes in 2023, which many believe served as inspiration for some of the lyrics on Short n’ Sweet. Carpenter and Mendes’s alleged fling might have also informed some of Cabello’s own recent songs. And to add fuel to the fire, Mendes is also releasing a self-titled album this October. Oh, and did we mention the three are set to reunite at the VMAs? Yeah, there’s loads to catch up on so let’s get into it.
Below, we have compiled the complete timeline of events in Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, and Camila Cabello’s purported love triangle — from the trio’s reunion at the 2024 VMAs to Shawmila’s inception… also at the VMAs. (If you want to see the timeline in chronological order, start from here and scroll up.)
September 20, 2024: Camila Cabello seemingly references Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” during iHeartRadio Music Festival performance
It sure looks like Camila Cabello is aware of the discourse online because the singer decided to purposely leave out a very specific word during her performance at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, which has fans all around the world talking.
As noted by multiple users online, Cabello seemed to poke fun at the drama when singing “Señorita” (sans Shawn Mendes) at the event. When it came time to sing the song’s second verse — which, in case you need a reminder, goes, “You say we’re just friends / But friends don’t know the way you taste” — Cabello decided to omit the word “taste,” seemingly in reference to Sabrina Carpenter’s song title. Instead, Cabello covered her mouth with her finger and looked to the side like so:
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
September 11, 2024: Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, and Shawn Mendes all attend the 2024 VMAs
Sabrina Carpenter, Camila Cabello, and Shawn Mendes were all tapped by MTV to be performers at the 2024 VMAs. Carpenter performed a medley of “Please Please Please,” “Taste,” and “Espresso” from Short n’ Sweet, Cabello performed a medley of “Godspeed” and “June Gloom” from C, XOXO and its deluxe version, while Mendes performed new single “Nobody Knows,” making for the first televised performance from his upcoming self-titled album.
Aside from the showstopping performances, if there’s a pop culture event that’s given us memorable celebrity interactions, it is the VMAs. Of course, our eyes were peeled for the trio’s big night, but we got no interaction. Still, the song selection was enough to get the people talking online, and so were the outfits the trio donned on the red carpet, which many pointed out had a striking resemblance to the “Taste” music video, especially with Cabello going back to black hair.
Composite: Getty Images
Before the actual VMAs, Mendes also took to Instagram to tease his outfit for the night. He captioned the post: “Pulling up to my own funeral.”
Speaking to Billboard, Cabello also maybe not-so-coincidentally referenced a funeral. “I kind of am having a funeral today for just everything that is negative, everything that doesn’t serve me,” she said. “Death to the things that are negative, death to the people and the situations that try to bring you down.”
September 6, 2024: Camila Cabello releases C,XOXO (Magic City Edition) with lyrics about an ex
As soon as Cabello dropped the Magic City Edition of her album C,XOXO with four new songs, fans started speculating that some lyrics could be about Mendes, particularly in the song “can friends kiss?”
In the song, Cabellos sings: “I don’t like your new girl, she don’t move me / When you talk about her, I get moody (I do).” Another verse goes: “I’ma call you, I’ma hit your number / I’ma slow-whine and make you wonder / Fantasies about you in my head, yeah / I know that we shouldn’t, but / Can friends kiss? / Touch each other like this? (Ooh) / Undercover like this (Ooh).”
Cabello also refers to her ex in the track “baby pink,” a collaboration with Eem Triplin. In the song’s second verse, which she also shared on TikTok, she sings: “Teasin’ my ex is my favorite hobby / Went a little too far, I’m sorry.” The song’s pre-chorus also hints at a past relationship: “Let some of that baggage go ’cause I couldn’t let you go, ooh. / Motherf*cker, you’re mine forever.”
August 25, 2024: Camila Cabello spotlights “June Gloom” on TikTok
Before she released C,XOXO (Magic City Edition), as speculation reached an all-time high post-Short ‘n Sweet release, Cabello put another verse in the spotlight on her TikTok, this time from her song “June Gloom,” which many have interpreted to be about Carpenter.
“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 trying to find out?” Cabello lipsyncs.
August 23, 2024: Sabrina Carpenter drops Short ‘n Sweet, and speculation reaches an all-time high
Love triangle theories started spinning when Carpenter released the long-anticipated Short ‘n Sweet, as it didn’t take long for fans to start speculating about the situations that inspired the songs.
The first song fans believe is about Mendes and Cabello is “Taste,” which is accompanied by a video featuring Jenna Ortega in which the two women repeatedly kill each other over a man. “I heard you’re back together, and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you,” the chorus goes.
“Sharpest Tool” also features lyrics about a man wanting to get back with his ex. “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 b*tch you hate now,” Carpenter sings.
The next song fans theorize could be about the alleged love triangle is “Coincidence.” In the song, Carpenter sings verses like: “The second I put my head on your chest / She knew, she’s got a real sixth sense / Now her name comes up once, then it comes up twice / And without her even bein’ here, she’s back in your life / Now she’s in the same damn city on the same damn night” and “Last week, you didn’t have any doubts / This week, you’re holdin’ space for her tongue in your mouth / Now sh?’s sendin’ you some pictures w?arin’ less and less / Tryna turn the past into the present tense, huh.”
“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,” the final verse goes.
The last song that sparked some theories is “Dumb & Poetic,” in which Carpenter sings: “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.”
Fans believe those lyrics could be about Mendes since he is a fan and has made headlines for covering Leonard Cohen, is a big meditation advocate, and has publicly admitted to experimenting with mushrooms.
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Carpenter admitted the album is inspired by her past relationships, some of which were very short. “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,” she explained.
July 14, 2024: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello attend the Copa América final together
The last time Mendes and Cabello were spotted together was at the Copa América final in Miami, and speculation about their relationship started once again. Some saw this as a sign that the pair remain friends, while others questioned whether they might have rekindled their love.
June 28, 2024: Camila Cabello drops C, XOXO with “June Gloom”
As we mentioned above, Cabello’s “June Gloom” from C, XOXO sparked fan theories aplenty as it is seemingly about Cabello’s ex connecting with another girl but still having feelings for her.
March 2024: Camila Cabello opens up about her breakup with Shawn Mendes
Ahead of the release of C, XOXO, Cabello spoke at length about her relationship and breakup with Mendes on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
“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,” she said about Mendes.
She also said the decision to split up after getting back together “wasn’t even like a decision.” She said: 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.”
November 2023: Sabrina Carpenter drops “Cindy Lou Who,” and fans speculate it is about Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello
Before we got Short n’ Sweet, we had Fruitcake, Carpenter’s Christmas EP, which also featured some lyrics that raised fans’ eyebrows.
In “Cindy Lou Who,” Carpenter sings: “I saw you laughing in one of his pictures /But you’ll be the one with his ring on your finger,” “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, “Scrolling five years back, I’m obsessed / Breaking my heart, ’tis the season, I guess,” “If you’re waking up now in his old bed / at his family’s house, know that you’re just / Breaking my heart,” and “The snow’s gonna fall and the tree’s gonna glisten / And I’m gonna puke at the thought of you kissin’ / The boy who I love who’s now in love with you / Cindy Lou Who / Told all my friends, they said it can’t be true.”
June 2023: Sources confirm Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello broke up for the second time
A source close to Mendes and Cabello told Entertainment Tonight the pair had broken up for a second time. “Shawn and Camila broke up and are no longer seeing each other. They gave things a try, but ultimately the timing isn’t right for either of them. They’re both staying busy and doing their own things,” they said.
April-May 2023: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello rekindle their love after Coachella
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello gave their relationship another chance after being spotted kissing during weekend one of Coachella 2023. The duo were later spotted walking around NYC together.
Gotham
March 2023: Sources say Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes are “seeing each other” after being spotted together, but Mendes quickly denies they are dating
On March 10, Carpenter and Mendes were seen leaving Miley Cyrus’s album release party at the Gucci store in Beverly Hills together. On March 12, they were seen talking at the Vanity Fair’s Oscars after-party. On March 13, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Carpenter and Mendes were “seeing each other” and “hanging out a lot,” but they were “trying to keep things low-key.” The source also said the duo were attending parties together and that Mendes was “very happy.” A few days later, however, Mendes shut down dating rumors speaking to RTL Boulevard. “We are not dating,” he said at the time.
February 2023: Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes are first seen together in Los Angeles after dating rumors start circulating
Gossip account DeuxMoi was the first to speculate that Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes were dating after an anonymous submitter claimed to have seen the two together “on clearly a date.” Shortly after, US Weekly published pictures of the two walking around L.A. together.
April 2022: Shawn Mendes releases “When You’re Gone” about Camila Cabello
Speaking to E!, Mendes admitted his breakup song “When You’re Gone” was about Cabello. “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.”
March 2022: Camila Cabello admits “Bam Bam” is about Shawn Mendes
Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Cabello said: “I f*cking love Shawn. And I feel like there is literally nothing but love for him,” she said. “This song is mostly just about like, ‘Okay, how do I make a song that shows the cycles of love, and life’… You know, whatever it is that’s going on in your life. Whether it is a breakup or a divorce, or like you said, a friend breakup, or you’ve just gone through something that just is really shitty. Hopefully, this can make you be like, ‘It is that way now, but things are always taking crazy turns.’”
November 2023: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello announce their breakup
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello announced they had amicable split with matching Instagram Stories. “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship, but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever. We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends. We so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward,” the duo wrote at the time. Shortly after, Mendes released the breakup song “It’ll Be Okay,” which many speculated was inspired by his relationship with Cabello.
Prior to their split, Cabello and Mendes confirmed their relationship in July 2019, shortly after the release of their hit single “Señorita” after years of speculation. They performed the song at the VMAs that year.
In fact, the VMAs seem like a fated event for Mendes and Cabello: The two first met in 2015 at the VMAs, which were held in L.A.
Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello at the Republic Records 2015 VMAs after party on August 30, 2015.
Rachel Murray/Getty Images
That same year, they released their first collaboration, “I Know What You Did Last Summer. ” They denied dating rumors as early as 2016.
