When it comes to young Hollywood romances, few stories are as layered—and publicly scrutinized—as the love triangle that may have unfolded between Shawn Mendes, Sabrina Carpenter, and Camila Cabello.
Though neither Sabrina nor Shawn ever officially confirmed a serious relationship, there’s enough evidence to suggest there was more than just friendship between them—and possibly a breakup that was never fully acknowledged.
So, did Shawn Mendes break up with Sabrina Carpenter? The answer appears to be yes—though not in the traditional sense. Their brief fling seemed to fizzle out once Shawn rekindled his romance with longtime love Camila Cabello, leaving Sabrina at the center of what many fans believe was a deeply emotional fallout. Here’s how it all unfolded, step by step.
February 2023: The First Spark
After years of being linked to Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes was seen hanging out with Sabrina Carpenter for the first time on February 27, 2023. The pair were spotted walking together in Los Angeles, sparking immediate dating rumors.
They looked comfortable, casual, and very much like two people who were getting to know each other on a deeper level. By March, the sightings continued, including one at Miley Cyrus’s Endless Summer Vacation release party, where they were seen sneaking out together.
Soon after, a source told Entertainment Tonight, “Shawn and Sabrina are seeing each other. They have been hanging out a lot and trying to keep things low-key.” Another insider added, “Shawn is happy.” While it all sounded promising, things were far more complicated behind the scenes.
March 17, 2023: Shawn Denies the Relationship
Despite the mounting rumors and eyewitness accounts, Shawn Mendes denied the dating speculation during an interview with RTL Boulevard, a Dutch television show. When asked if he and Sabrina were dating, he responded clearly, “We are not dating.”
The denial left fans confused. Was he protecting a budding relationship from public scrutiny, or was there truly nothing romantic happening? Either way, it planted the first seeds of doubt. By April 2023, that doubt grew into something far more concrete—especially once Camila Cabello came back into the picture.
April 2023: A Coachella Reunion with Camila
At Coachella 2023, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were spotted together again, and this time they weren’t just chatting as friends. The two were seen kissing, holding hands, and looking very much like a couple once more.
Fans immediately questioned where this left Sabrina Carpenter. Had she and Shawn already broken up? Or had the reunion with Camila caught her off guard?
An insider told Page Six, “They’re enjoying getting reacquainted and seeing where it goes,” confirming that Shawn and Camila were back in touch romantically. That same month, they were seen holding hands in Los Angeles—more confirmation that their relationship had been rekindled.
November 2023: Sabrina Fires Back With “Cindy Lou Who”
Fast forward to November 2023, and Sabrina Carpenter released the track “Cindy Lou Who,” which fans believe was a direct reference to the Shawn-Camila Coachella reunion. With lyrics like “Maybe he met you somewhere in the desert / While he was soul-searchin’, he found someone better”, it was hard not to connect the dots.
The song painted a picture of a girl blindsided by someone she thought was still emotionally available—only to realize she was a temporary stop on his journey back to someone else. If Shawn hadn’t officially broken up with Sabrina, the song made it clear that she felt left behind, without much closure.
August 2024: Sabrina’s Album “Short N’ Sweet” Spills More Tea
By August 2024, Sabrina released her highly anticipated album Short N’ Sweet, and fans quickly noticed several songs that seemed to point directly to her brief relationship—and apparent heartbreak—with Shawn Mendes.
The opening track, “Taste,” is especially biting. “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you,” she sings, all but confirming that the man she’s singing about left her for someone else—someone he had a long history with. Sound familiar?
In “Coincidence,” Sabrina digs even deeper, referencing a suspicious trip to the desert (likely a nod to Coachella):
“Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side? / Damn it, she looks kinda like the girl you outgrew.”
The implication? She suspects Shawn never really let go of Camila—even when he was with her.
Another track, “Dumb & Poetic,” skewers a man who hides behind therapy speak and spirituality, perhaps alluding to Shawn’s known affinity for meditation and self-growth:
“It’s just what I fall for, I like the aesthetic / Every self-help book, you’ve already read it / Cherry-pick lines like they’re words you invented.”
While Sabrina has never confirmed the identity of the man behind these lyrics, she told Zane Lowe that the song was inspired by someone who masked manipulative behavior behind “therapy buzzwords and a highbrow record collection”—descriptions that fans quickly associated with Mendes.
December 2024: Shawn Admits to a Love Triangle?
Just when it seemed like Sabrina had said her piece through her music, Shawn Mendes opened up in a rare vulnerable moment during an interview with John Mayer. Speaking candidly, he said:
“I’m with someone. Two days before going to hang with my ex, [I] express I’m going to hang with my ex because I have unresolved feelings… Maybe instead of two days it could have been two weeks.”
While he didn’t name names, the timeline fits perfectly with his alleged fling with Sabrina and his Coachella reunion with Camila. He also added, “No one gets out of this life without getting hurt, and no one gets out of this life without hurting someone.” A quiet admission, perhaps, that someone—likely Sabrina—was hurt in the process of him figuring things out.
September 2024: Camila Takes a Subtle Jab
By September 20, 2024, Camila Cabello had seemingly entered the chat. During her performance at the iHeartRadio Festival, she sang her hit “Señorita” without Shawn and noticeably skipped the word “taste” in the lyric: “But friends don’t know the way you taste.” Many believe this was a deliberate reference to Sabrina’s song “Taste,” another indication that Camila was very aware of the situation.
So… Did Shawn Mendes Break Up With Sabrina Carpenter?
While there was never an official “We broke up” statement, all signs point to yes—Shawn Mendes did, in fact, break up with Sabrina Carpenter. Or at the very least, he emotionally exited the relationship before it had a chance to develop into something serious.
From Sabrina’s raw, pointed lyrics to Shawn’s eventual reconnection with Camila and his cryptic acknowledgment of hurting someone while dealing with unresolved feelings, the writing is on the wall.
Sabrina may not have gotten the closure she wanted, but she channeled her experience into some of her most honest and acclaimed music yet. And as for Shawn, he seems to have learned that love, especially under the spotlight, is rarely simple.
Whether they were ever officially a couple or not, what happened between them clearly left a mark—and that’s something neither of them can deny.
