Shawn Mendes Says Ex Camila Cabello Would 'Probably Be the First Person I Call' in an Emergency to 'This Day'
Mendes and Cabello dated for more than two years before splitting in 2021 and briefly reuniting last year
Shawn Mendes opened up to The New York Times about the current state of his relationship to ex-girlfriend Camila Cabello
The pair dated for more than two years, split in November 2021 and briefly reunited last year
"But honestly, if something was to happen in my family and if something was to happen to me, she’d probably be the first person I call, to this day," said Mendes
Camila Cabello still holds a special place in Shawn Mendes' heart.
In a new interview with The New York Times, the "In My Blood" singer-songwriter opened up about the current state of his relationship with ex-girlfriend Cabello, whom he dated for more than two years before splitting in 2021 and briefly reuniting last year.
Mendes, 26, told the outlet Cabello, 27, remains "one of my closest friends" and said any notion they're "against each other in a weird way" is not true and "bugs" him.
Related: Shawn Mendes Says He’s Still ‘Figuring Out’ His Sexuality: ‘It Feels Really Scary’
They may no longer be a romantic couple, but he told the NYT they still have conversations.
"I have nerves just even speaking about it, just what people would say," he said. "But honestly, if something was to happen in my family and if something was to happen to me, she’d probably be the first person I call, to this day."
He added of his "Señorita" duet partner, "Our relationship is teaching me what love means, in a big way."
The pair announced their breakup in November 2021 with a joint statement: "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."
In April 2023, Mendes and Cabello were spotted kissing at Coachella in Indio, California, but the reunion was brief, as PEOPLE confirmed the "Havana" musician was dating again as of two months later.
Cabello addressed the short-lived reconciliation with Mendes in a March appearance on Call Her Daddy. "It took us both less time to be like, 'This doesn’t feel right and we don’t need to try so hard to make it work. It’s all good,'" she said at the time.
"I will always care about him and love him," the star added. "He’s a really kind, good person."
During a concert in Colorado earlier this week, Mendes performed his upcoming song "The Mountain," which features lyrics about conversations surrounding his sexuality, and spoke candidly about the topic on stage.
"Since I was really young, there's been this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it for so long," he told the crowd, per a clip shared on TikTok. "I think it's kind of silly, because I think sexuality is such a beautifully complex thing, and it’s so hard to just put into boxes."
Related: Did Camila Cabello Shade Sabrina Carpenter at the iHeartRadio Music Festival? Why Fans Think So
"It always felt like such an intrusion on something very personal to me, something that I was figuring out in myself, something that I had yet to discover, and still have yet to discover," the singer added, insisting he's "speaking freely now" to feel "closer to everyone."
Mendes — whose new album Shawn is out Nov. 15 — continued: "The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone. I don't really know sometimes, and I know other times. And it feels really scary because we live in a society that has a lot to say about that."
"I’m trying to be really brave and just allow myself to be a human and feel things. And that’s all I really want to say about that for now," he said.