Shawn Mendes didn't hold anything back in a candid new interview in which he opened up about how rumors about his sexuality affected him.
Sitting down with Dax Shepard for the Monday episode of the "Armchair Expert" podcast, the "Wonder" singer admitted he's wrestled with speculation about his sexuality since he was a young teen.
MORE: Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello have discussed getting engaged"Everyone's been calling me gay since I was 15 years old," said Mendes, 22, recalling how he "didn't grow up wrestling" but instead "grew up getting my hair braided on New Year's Eve" with his female cousins.
Mendes explained how the speculation not only made him start policing his actions and closing himself off emotionally, it made him worry about his friends who were not ready to come out.
"It was so, so frustrating for me because there were some people in my life that I was very, very close to who were gay and in the closet," the three-time Grammy nominee explained. "I felt this real anger for those people."
"I think a lot of guys go through that and, even worse than that, there are so many guys who are gay and in the closet and must be hearing s--- like that and being like, 'I'm terrified to come out,'" the "Stitches" singer said.
Moreover, Mendes feared that he'd accidentally say something offensive or dismissive when responding to rumors about his sexuality.
MORE: Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes release surprise Christmas duet benefitting charity"You don't really know how to respond to the situation," he confessed, adding that he eventually realized he could freely be himself and never entertain the rumors.
Mendes also said men need to give themselves permission to be vulnerable and not worry how others will interpret their emotions.
"Guys need to just be vulnerable. We need to cry. Stop thinking this is being brave and strong and start thinking is the opposite, actually," he stressed. "We're holding in these emotions and not crying and being a-------. Nothing about that is nice."
