Meet Aaliyah Mendes, Shawn Mendes’ influencer sister: the siblings modelled together on a Tommy Hilfiger campaign, and she’s supporting him as he shed more light on his oft-questioned sexuality

Nov 7 , 2024

Shawn Mendes and his sister, Aaliyah Mendes, enjoy a close bond. Photo: @wona_concept/Instagram

The siblings have a close relationship: 2 of the tattoos on him are in her honour, and she also appears in his Netflix documentary, In Wonder

Pop star Shawn Mendes is closing out the year with some candid confessions.

After being hounded by questions about his sexuality since he started his career at 15, the “Stitches” singer is finally putting all speculation to rest. He’s currently on his For Friends and Family Only tour and, while performing the song “The Mountain” from his coming self-titled album in Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre recently, the 26-year-old addressed what has been the elephant in the room for years now. He expressed how intrusive public attention from a young age held him back from exploring his own identity and that sexuality, to him, is a “beautifully complex thing” that is “hard to just put into boxes”.

Shawn Mendes performing at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Photo: @shawnmendes/Instagram

Mendes, who famously dated songstress Camila Cabello, has previously spoken up about feeling pressured to prove he’s “not gay”. However, writing the song “The Mountain”, whose lyrics include “you can say I’m too young, you can say I’m too old, you can say I like girls or boys, whatever fits your mould”, allowed him to “address it in a way that felt close to my heart”.

“I’m just speaking freely now, because I just want to be able to be closer to everyone and just kind of be in my truth,” he said. Ultimately, Mendes announced, “The real truth about my life and my sexuality is that, man, I’m just figuring it out like everyone.”

Following the revelation, Mendes was seen spending some quality time with his 21-year-old sister, Aaliyah Mendes on a morning stroll in LA, coffee mugs in hand. Brother and sister dressed casually and were all smiles.

The Mendes siblings are very close and have more in common than you’d think. They’re both singers, played ice hockey when they were younger, found popularity on Vine, and both claim to have a lazy eye.

So what else do we know about Shawn Mendes’ only sister, Aaliyah Mendes?

Aaliyah Mendes is a model

Rather than following her brother’s footsteps into the entertainment industry, Aaliyah decided to make her mark in fashion. She is currently signed to Lang Models and is represented by EWG Management. For one of her portfolio photos (pictured above), she is wearing her mother’s jacket, per the relevant Instagram post.