Rising pop star Sabrina Carpenter finds herself at the center of an alleged love triangle involving fellow artists and former couple, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes. The entanglement is rumored to have started on Feb. 19, 2023, and has taken the internet by storm as more speculations arise.
Sabrina Carpenter quickly rose to fame with her hit songs “Nonsense” and “Espresso.” Many were charmed by her vocals and lyrics, which solidified her status as a rising star in the pop industry.
The speculations first started after an anonymous tip was sent to a gossip site that Carpenter and Mendes were reportedly seen together a year after his and Cabello’s split. Just a week after, the two were spotted together in a photograph of them walking side-by-side on the streets of L.A.
“I was always a fan of Sabrina Carpenter and thought of her as a ‘girl’s-girl,’ so I was really surprised when I heard about the love triangle,” Celine Jun (9), pop-culture enthusiast, said. “This scandal changed my view on her and I think other fans will think the same.”
In March of 2023, Mendes directly addressed the rumors and denied any romantic involvement with Carpenter, telling Dutch TV outlet RTL Boulevard, “We are not dating.” Despite this, the gossip did not subside. Their public interactions and multiple sightings together only added onto the speculation, leaving fans eager for more details.
After the sightings of the pair, fans were brought back to Mendes’s and Cabello’s relationship. Many wondered if the media could ever see a possible reconciliation between the two, or if Mendes has fully moved on. At the same time, the rumors also brought light to Carpenter’s previous entanglement involving celebrities Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. This affair was highly publicized, with all parties involved addressing the rumors through songs and other statements. Fans wonder if Carpenter is once again embroiled in a similar situation, drawing parallels between the two love triangles.
“This situation reminded me of Sabrina’s previous controversy with Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett,” Noella Shin (10), Sabrina Carpenter fan, said. “I’m surprised that Sabrina is a part of another controversy like this, and hope it won’t affect her reputation too much.”
Eventually, rumors of Carpenter and Mendes’s relationship died down. However, on Aug. 23, a year after the rumors initially started, the rumors were reignited with the release of Sabrina Carpenter’s latest music video, “Taste.” The music video features Carpenter and fellow Disney star Jenna Ortega. In it, Carpenter is seen singing to Ortega, who plays the role of the on-and-off girlfriend of Sabrina Carpenter’s unofficial man. There are several factors in the video hinting at Cabello-Mendes. The cast itself drove fans to speculate, as many believe that the resemblance between the actors and their respective character almost exact. Fans believe that Ortega is supposed to represent Cabello, while Carpenter’s on-screen love interest is intended to represent Shawn Mendes.
“At first, I thought that the whole love-triangle talk stemmed from baseless rumors,” said Noella. “But after watching the music video, and looking at more fan interpretations, I think it’s clear that the video is about the three’s relationships, to the point that it’s almost a direct shout-out.”
Three days after the release of Carpenter’s music video, Camila Cabello posted a TikTok that fans say added even more layers to the drama. In the video, Cabello lipsynced the following lyrics, “She’s cool, I heard. Won’t act surprised, I saw the pictures,” which many interpret as a direct response to Carpenter’s music video and the paparazzi pictures. While some believed that the timing could have been a mere coincidence, others were cynical, as the song was released two months ago prior to “Taste.” Additionally, the TikTok was captioned, “Hope it’ll burn out but it just gets bigger,” fueling even more rumors.
“I don’t think this situation will impact Camila Cabello’s reputation too badly, as she didn’t really do anything wrong,” said Celine. “However, I think that people’s opinions on the other two artists will definitely change.”
Currently, all three artists are set to perform at the VMAs, making fans all the more excited and anxious for potential drama to unfold onstage or in their speeches. Fans are anticipating whether the VMAs will see any veiled references to the love triangle.
