Shawn Mendes Apologizes To Sam Smith For Using Wrong Pronoun In Introduction

KEY POINTS

Shawn Mendes referred to Sam Smith as "he" instead of "they" at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball show Thursday
Mendes publicly apologized to Smith and assured the singer it won't happen again
Smith accepted Mendes' apology and said they were "all learning together"

Shawn Mendes is making amends to Sam Smith after calling the singer the wrong pronoun.

On Thursday, Mendes, 22, introduced Smith, 28, at the 2020 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball show using the pronoun "he" instead of "they." The "Too Good at Goodbyes" singer identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns "they, them and theirs," Page Six reported.

Fans had called out Mendes' mistake, pointing out that Smith's pronouns are in their social media bios. After realizing his gaffe, Mendes took to Instagram Friday to reach out to Smith and apologize.

"Oh @samsmith I’m so sorry for reffering [sic] to you as a ‘he’ for your jingle ball introduction," the Canadian crooner wrote on his Instagram Story. "It absolutely slipped my mind. Wont happen again … Sending you so much love ! Also you absolutely are one of the funniest people I’ve ever met!"

Smith accepted the apology, writing on their Instagram Story, "We're all learning together" along with two hearts.

"Happy holidays, all my love xx," they added.

While some fans believe the public apology was unnecessary, other social media users said they understood why Mendes addressed it.

"We all make mistake & will probably mess up pronouns in the future no matter how much we respect each other's identity. What I find upsetting is that he KNEW he had to make a public apology otherwise he would be 'canceled.' A private 'yo sorry' wouldn't be good enough. It sucks," one Twitter user wrote.

Wrote another, "He doesn’t HAVE to apologize. But he probably apologized because I’m sure he felt bad and is a good human being who wants others to know they are just as important as their pronouns."

Smith opened up about identifying as "non-binary or genderqueer" and shared their pronouns during a March 2019 interview with "The Good Place" actress Jameela Jamil on her Instagram-based "I Weigh Interviews" series.

"I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between," the Grammy winner told Jamil.

Smith also announced it through Twitter in September last year. "I've decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM," he tweeted. "After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out."