Lauren Jauregui Says Incessant Rumors About Her Dating Fifth Harmony Bandmate Camila Cabello Were 'Traumatizing'

Time to set the record straight on something that was very bothersome!

Fifth Harmony alum Lauren Jauregui doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about her and fellow one-time girl group star Camila Cabello — so she’s opening up about their relationship and all the rumors that have long surrounded it!

As 5H fans will no doubt recall, Jauregui — who came out as queer in 2016, while still a member of the girl group — was the subject of near-constant fan speculation that she’d actually been dating Cabello.

Speaking this week on Becky G‘s En La Sala podcast, the 24-year-old pop princess addressed and denied those years-long fan theories and unfounded rumors that she and Camila were attracted to each other romantically. Still, it sounds like the gossip has taken its toll on the singer.

Speaking to the podcast host about her history with the Cinderella star and her own existence being queer, Jauregui opened up about that tough time in her life, saying (below):

“People thought Camila and I were into each other and that made me so uncomfortable. Like, disgustingly uncomfortable, because I was queer but she was not and it made me feel like a predator. It made me feel like a predator because the types of clips people would put together and the types of stories that people would write and the type of stuff, I was always the aggressor and I was always the one turning her. I was always the one who was the ‘masculine’ energy in the scenario and it made me very uncomfortable because that is not how I identify.”

Now, the two pop stars were clearly “very good friends,” and Jauregui describes their connection as “just a genuine friendship,” to be sure. But she seriously didn’t hesitate to walk back any rumors about her and Shawn Mendes‘ girl, despite acknowledging that “even to this day,” fans are “convinced” the pair was in a relationship at one point. Jeez…

Though Fifth Harmony eventually went on hiatus in March of 2018 — in part as a response to Cabello’s transition to a solo career — the Miami-born singer felt the sting of the rumors and whispers long after that:

“It was so traumatizing. It really f**ked with my head because I wasn’t even comfortable telling my parents about it. I wasn’t even comfortable telling myself that I was queer. And I also, I didn’t see Camila that way, so it made me uncomfortable that I could potentially be putting off that vibe.”

What a terrible feeling! Ugh!

Hopefully, time will heal all wounds in this scenario, and the further removed Jauregui is from that no-win situation, the more she can move past the rumors and innuendo.

Still, what a s**tty thing to have to deal with! For real!

[Image via WENN/Avalon]