A new normal. Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes may have decided to go their separate ways, but a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly that the pair “still have a ton of love and respect for each other.”
“At this point they’ve decided they need a break from each other to evaluate where each of them are at. They’re not saying never, just not now,” the insider says. “It does hurt, but they’re both certain this is for the best. Otherwise they wouldn’t have done it.
Even though the friendship between Cabello, 24, and Mendes, 23, “will never change,” their loved ones saw the split coming.
“Their friends are all pretty much of the opinion that it was a classic case of too much, too soon,” the source notes. “The attention became overwhelming, and it did irritate them, Shawn in particular, to keep getting grilled on how serious they were and whether or not they were going to get engaged.”
The Cuba native and the “Stitches” performer originally met while opening up for Austin Mahone on tour in 2014. They stayed friends before taking their relationship to the next level five years later.
The 100 guest star previously revealed that he thought about proposing to the Cinderella actress sometime in the future.
“Yeah, absolutely. I think for me it’s always been if I’m not willing to talk about that stuff then I kind of check out a little bit, and I don’t know, I really think when you know, you know,” he shared with Entertainment Tonight in December 2020.
Earlier this year, the twosome sparked engagement rumors after fans noted that the former Fifth Harmony star was wearing a ring on her left hand in a TikTok video, which she attributed to a miscommunication.
“I mean, I’d actually like you to enlighten me – which hand is the engagement hand? Because I don’t know,” Cabello said during an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in August. “My parents are married, and they both lost their ring. Literally, my mom couldn’t tell me, either. She could save me from this, but she doesn’t because she doesn’t know, either!”
Two months later, the “Havana” singer got honest about how the twosome utilize therapy to improve their mental health.
“For better, for worse, we’re very transparent with each other. I think that’s why we can trust each other so much, because it’s a very 3D human relationship,” she told Glamour in her October cover story. “I’ll be venting or ranting about something, and he’ll be like, ‘Have you talked to X about it?’ And I’ll be like, ‘No. I’ve got to do a session.’ And he’ll do the same thing to me. I think even just the language of being like, ‘Hey, I’m sorry that I’ve been distant with you or snappy with you. I’m just struggling and I’m feeling kind of anxious.’ That level of transparency really helps a lot.”
Mendes, for his part, reflected on how the duo “give each [other an] extreme amount of patience and understanding.”
“I think the truth is that when you’re struggling with mental health, it turns you sometimes into the version of yourself that you don’t like to be — and kind of loving and accepting your person through that, and being there for them through that, is life-changing. We give each other so much space and understanding and patience,” he noted to Glamour at the time.
The following month, Cabello and Mendes released a joint statement addressing their breakup, which read, “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. We so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward. Camila and Shawn.”
According to the source, the exes are “staying in touch and there’s no trash talking going on or bitterness on either side.”
The insider continued, “It wouldn’t surprise anyone if they just take a breather, enjoy the holidays then look to get back together down the line,
For more on Cabello and Mendes’ split, watch the video above and look for the new issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.