Shawn Mendes is opening up about insecurities surrounding his sexuality being questioned.

In a December cover story for Rolling Stone, the 20-year-old Canadian heartthrob reveals the gossip surrounding his personal life causes him a lot of stress and anxiety – so much that he feels pressured to dispel rumors.

"I'd like to say I don’t care about it, but that’s not true," he says, referencing "this massive, massive thing for the last five years about me being gay."

Mendes addressed speculation in 2016 through a series of Snapchat stories. ("I noticed a lot of people were saying I gave them a 'gay vibe.' First of all, I’m not gay. Second of all, it shouldn’t make a difference if I was or wasn't.") However, the video only intensified scrutiny and his need to prove critics wrong.

"In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone – like a girl – in public, to prove to people that I’m not gay," Mendes says. "Even though in my heart I know that it’s not a bad thing. There’s still a piece of me that thinks that. And I hate that side of me."

He continues: "I had this thought: 'I have to get paparazzied with someone. Who am I gonna get? I'm not relevant."

The "In My Blood" singer talks about his relationship with Hailey Baldwin, revealing that the two were more than just friends: "I don’t even wanna put a title on it. I think it was more of a zone of limbo."

Related: Hailey Baldwin reveals she wants to have kids with 'incredible' beau Justin Bieber

Mendes and Baldwin attended the 2018 Met Gala together, even holding hands at the event. But Baldwin was engaged to Justin Bieber a month later following their whirlwind romance.

Still, Mendes says he has no hard feelings.

"I texted Hailey, 'Congratulations,' and I really am happy for them," he says. "She's still one of the (expletive) coolest people ever – she’s not just a beautiful person visually, but she’s one of the most beautiful hearts I’ve ever met."

Related: Justin Bieber confirms 'first Thanksgiving as a married man,' calls relationships 'hard'

After the cover story published, Mendes took to his Twitter account Monday to say "sometimes the positive side of a story doesn’t always get fully told and I wish it had here."

Related: Shawn Mendes tells James Corden he'd drop $500 on Bieber's boxers during 'Carpool Karaoke'