Shawn Mendes's Met Gala Date was a Matter of Moral Support, Not Romance

The tabloids will have to wait a little while longer for their next Gen Z power couple. Shawn Mendes is here to remind us all once again that just because he walked the red carpet with Hollywood scion and model Hailey Baldwin, it doesn't mean that they're dating. Shawn reiterated to People that he and Hailey are just "friends."

Sure, the fact that walking the Met Gala red carpet together is a tried and true method of confirming A-list relationships (not to mention, perhaps the classiest), and, yeah, Mendes and Baldwin made a striking and sharp jawed item, but Mendes maintains that their choice of linking up on the museum steps was more a matter of moral support and convenience than anything else. "No, we were not making our big debut," the 19-year-old said on Wednesday. "We were both asked to walk by Tommy Hilfiger." He added, "Obviously Hailey and I are friends, and it was just really cool for me to be able to walk with her because she's a vet and it was my first year, so it kind of took the pressure off a little bit. I was thrilled to be able to go with her."

Shawn, of course, shared a similar sentiment in an interview with *W* that was conducted as he got ready for the Met Gala. "We're really good friends," he said, smiling, when asked about Hailey. "It's funny, she's such a pro with this type of stuff. I want it to be amazing for her, so I've been trying for the past 24 hours to be really silly so that she stays 'on.' I'm happy to walk with her — she's amazing."

Menes has never carried out a public relationship, but who can blame him? Baldwin meanwhile has been surreptitiously linked to a few famous faces here and there. Rumors that the pair have been seeing each other have been going around for the past few months, but apparently it's been a matter of signal crossing amongst the gossips.

Related: Shawn Mendes Opens Up Before His First Met Gala About His Friend Hailey Baldwin, Being a Romantic at Heart, and His New Music