Weekend: Sabrina Carpenter’s Love Triangle 😬

This summer, it’s been impossible to avoid Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.” You know what’s also become inescapable this past week? Her alleged love triangle with “Señorita” singers Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. For those who’ve managed to avoid the flood of fan theories on TikTok, let us untangle this deeply confusing, deeply Gen Z drama. In 2021, after roughly two years of dating — and very viral PDA — Mendes and Cabello announced via matching Instagram Stories that they’d split. That lasted until 2023, when the duo briefly rekindled their romance at Coachella, to the delight of Shawnmila fans everywhere. Now, where does Carpenter fit into all of this, you ask? Months before the Coachella makeout seen ‘round the world, Mendes and Carpenter were rumored to have been a thing, but their status was never confirmed. (Worth noting: This is the CliffsNotes version of the saga. For a very detailed play-by-play, click here.) 

All of which brings us to just over a week ago, when Carpenter dropped the innuendo-filled Short n’ Sweet. While some assumed the album would largely be about her hot rodent boyfriend Barry Keoghan — who despite flirty Instagram comments, may now be her ex — many eagle-eyed fans are convinced multiple lyrics reference Mendes and Cabello (see: “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you”). That includes tracks like “Coincidence” and “Taste,” particularly given the speculation that Jenna Ortega is meant to represent Cabello in the horror-inspired “Taste” music video. Of course, none of the parties have commented on the situation — though Cabello did post a rather curious TikTok set to her song “June Gloom,” which is allegedly about Carpenter. Oh, and to make matters even more, uh, awkward, it was recently announced that Carpenter, Cabello, and Mendes will perform at the MTV VMAs. We have to ask: Is Carpenter just drawn to messy love affairs (apparently, this isn’t her first brush with love triangles)? Which song off Mendes’s upcoming album will include his version of events? Or, in the words of Carpenter herself, is it all just a “coincidence”?