This Openly Gay Performer Thought They ‘Outed’ Shawn Mendes

An brazenly homosexual entertainer expressed concern over doubtlessly outing Shawn Mendes.

Whereas being interviewed for an upcoming vacation challenge, speak turned to the Canadian singer’s latest declaration of “exploring” his sexuality throughout a live performance. This led the interview topic to share their ideas on the “Deal with You Higher” performer’s feedback, earlier than promptly providing an apology for his or her assumptions.

Being all too accustomed to media scrutiny over their sexuality, the brazenly homosexual singer questioned if Shawn Mendes’ feedback at a latest live performance was affirmation of him “popping out.”

Whereas talking to Variety about his upcoming Christmas album, American Idol alum Clay Aiken touched on the now-viral video of Mendes’ candid admission throughout a efficiency in Colorado.

“By the best way, did Shawn Mendes come out at present?” the “Invisible” vocalist requested.

“Have you ever seen this video on his Instagram? I didn’t end watching it as a result of I appeared on the time and I used to be like, ‘Oh God, I gotta get on the pc.’”

Aiken’s interview probably passed off on the finish of October, which is when Mendes made headlines for his weak feedback.

Clips of the singer conversing with the gang quickly flooded TikTok and different platforms, with followers of Mendes applauding him for being open about his private journey.

“The actual reality about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m simply figuring it out like everybody,” Mendes shared throughout a break within the Oct. 28 present, as reported by The Blast.

“I don’t actually know generally, and I do know different occasions.”

Questions surrounding Mendes’ sexuality has adopted the singer for years, forcing him to talk on the matter a number of occasions.

“I don’t know if he actually [came out],” Aiken later advised Selection. “I shouldn’t out him if he didn’t.”

Much like Mendes, Aiken’s rise to fame because the runner-up on American Idol’s second season in 2003 got here with a bevy of media consideration about his purported sexuality.

After refusing to share his reality for years, he made the selection to publicly come out as a homosexual man in 2008.

“I really feel like nobody has speculated about [this] sh- t since 2000, [when] I went by means of that crap,” Aiken, now 45, advised Selection. “I joke that after I got here out publicly, it stopped being a narrative. I don’t know that anyone has had press in that means, like tabloid tales or questions by Diane Sawyer.”

Coincidentally, Mendes’ confession was introduced up in a later interview with Queerty, the place Aiken defined he had simply spoken about it with one other publication.

“[An] interview occurred identical to this one, and actually as I used to be logging on, somebody despatched me that video [of Mendes.],” he mentioned. “However it bothered me that I talked about it, particularly trying again at how [I] was [once] the primary story on Good Morning America. And I wasn’t even popping out [then], by the best way.”

Aiken recalled throughout his interview that the matter of his sexuality, like Mendes, was usually introduced up throughout leisure segments on morning speak reveals.

To his shock, it could be an argument between rival hosts Kelly Ripa and Rosie O’Donnell that added gasoline to the media hearth, when O’Donnell known as Ripa out on The View in 2006 after she chastised Clay for putting his hand over her mouth throughout a telecast of Reside with Regis and Kelly.

“I don’t know the place that hand has been, honey,” Ripa advised the singer, as reported by Us Weekly.

The following day, O’Donnell blasted Ripa on-air and claimed her remark was homophobic. Per Entertainment Weekly, Ripa then known as in to The View studio to defend herself, saying O’Donnell wanted to be extra “accountable” together with her judgement.

“Rosie O’Donnell had an argument with Kelly Ripa about it on stay TV,” Aiken advised Queerty. “I imply, that sh-t was occurring [to me], and so I felt dangerous that I even talked about his non-public enterprise to anyone in any respect, as a result of I didn’t need them doing that to me.”

He then expressed satisfaction over the altering occasions in media.

“However no person’s having these arguments, or placing ‘is Shawn Mendes homosexual?’ on TV now, as a result of when you did, you’d be taken off the air – as try to be,” he acknowledged,

“As a result of [his sexuality is] his enterprise, as was mine, as anybody’s,” Clay continued.

Within the 22 years since he’s appeared on American Idol, Aiken has launched 5 albums, together with a vacation album in 2004, change into a father, appeared on Broadway, and ran for Congress twice (he misplaced each occasions).

Music has all the time been on the coronary heart of all the things he’s carried out, nevertheless, which he hopes to show with Christmas Bells Are Ringing!, his new vacation album and his first album general in additional than a decade.

“My final album was virtually 15 years in the past,” he admitted to Queerty. “I feel I’ve spent [too] a lot time making an attempt to get individuals, particularly in [my home state of] North Carolina to think about me as one thing different than a singer from a TV present. So now I’m like, “Oh crap, I’ve obtained to remind them that I can sing once more. I’m [still] alive, and I can sing.”

Although his journey to popping out publicly was extremely rocky, Clay says he has no regrets with how his life has performed out thus far – and reminds others that all of us have our personal journeys to traverse.

“I’m not gonna do the regrets factor, however I do marvel generally,” he famous. “If I had recognized [I was gay] previous to being on the present, if I might have felt snug with telling individuals or being open about it. I don’t think about that I might have, [but] I don’t really feel responsible about it as a result of it was a distinct time! If somebody in 2024 didn’t really feel snug being out, I wouldn’t decide them as a result of we’re all in our heads, and it’s completely different for every individual.”

Clay’s new album, Christmas Bells Are Ringing!, is accessible to stream now.