Grammy-nominated musician Shawn Mendes announced this morning that he’s cancelling his remaining tour dates in North America, the UK, and Europe in the name of prioritizing his mental health. The announcement comes only weeks after Mendes’s initial postponement of “Wonder: The World Tour.”
Mendes shared the news in a statement on Instagram, writing: “I started this tour excited to finally get back to playing live after a long break due to the pandemic, but the reality is I was not at all ready for how difficult touring would be after this time away.”
He continues: “After speaking with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more clear that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger. . . . It breaks my heart to tell you this but I promise I will be back as soon as I’ve taken the right time to heal.”
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Mendes performed only seven of 87 planned shows, which were set to span the globe through summer 2023. This isn’t the first time Mendes has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health. The 23-year-old singer rocketed to fame as a teenager with the release of his first album “Handwritten” in 2015. Earlier this month, when he announced the initial postponement of the tour, Mendes wrote in a statement shared on Twitter that being away from family and friends takes its toll. “I’ve been touring since I was 15 . . . . After a few years off the road, I felt like I was ready to dive back in, but that decision was premature and unfortunately the toll of the road and the pressure has caught up to me and I’ve hit a breaking point.”
The cancellation comes not long after Mendes split with his girlfriend of two years and fellow musician Camila Cabello. Shortly after, Mendes posted a confessional on Instagram reflecting on the breakup. “Like, who do I call when I’m like, in a panic attack? Who do I call when I’m like, f*cking, on the edge?” he said. “I think that’s the reality that kind of hit me. It’s like, oh, I’m on my own now. Now I feel like finally, like, I’m actually on my own, and I hate that. That’s my reality, you know?”
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Fans voiced their support for the singer via social media. “We wanted to send big, big love to Shawn Mendes today. We hope he gets better soon. Takes some bravery to go ahead and speak up about mental health as an artist, sometimes. Come back stronger @ShawnMendes,” one Twitter user wrote. Another added, “Fairplay to Shawn Mendes. Takes a lot of bravery to stand up for your mental health like that. Every artist I know is struggling right now. It’s a really crazy time. We need to all try and look after each other. Artists/fans/everyone. Life’s weird right now”
Mendes’s announcement is a reminder that everyone, even celebrities, needs to do what’s right for them and their mental health.
