Washington DC [US], January 8 (ANI): Singer Shawn Mendes has confirmed his romance with Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine after the two were spotted sharing affectionate moments during a grocery shopping trip in Los Angeles, according to E! News.

The pair appeared relaxed and cheerful as they embraced each other multiple times, effectively putting an end to weeks of speculation surrounding their relationship. Photographs from the outing showed Mendes and Marquezine dressed casually in jeans and sweaters, leaning into each other and exchanging hugs, including moments where the singer wrapped his arms around the actress from behind, as per the outlet.

Romance rumours involving the 'Stitches' singer and the Blue Beetle actress first surfaced last month when they were seen vacationing together in Brazil. The sighting marked Mendes' first publicly acknowledged relationship since reports in 2023 linking him to Big Brother UK alum Charlie Travers. Marquezine, meanwhile, is known for her past on-and-off relationship with Brazilian football star Neymar between 2013 and 2018.

Mendes has largely kept his personal life out of the spotlight following the end of his two-year relationship with fellow singer Camila Cabello in 2021, which included a brief reconciliation in 2023. In November 2024, however, the Grammy-nominated artist addressed long-running public speculation about his sexuality during a concert performance.

Speaking candidly, Mendes said he was still discovering himself and described sexuality as complex and difficult to define. He added that public scrutiny had often felt intrusive but stressed his desire to live authentically and embrace his humanity, as per the outlet.

'The truth is that I didn't get to do a lot of 15-year-old things and discover parts of myself that you do at 15,' he said during a concert at the time. 'There's this thing about my sexuality, and people have been talking about it so long. 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,' as quoted by E! News.

And Shawn admitted that, amid what he said felt like an 'intrusion' on a topic 'very personal' to him, he was finally ready to speak 'freely.'

'The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I'm just figuring it out like everyone,' he continued. 'And 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.'

Shawn concluded, '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,' as quoted by E! News. (ANI)