Sabrina Carpenter has made headlines for her love life, even before she debuted the steamy lyrics of her latest album, Short n’ Sweet. She’s had romances with fellow Disney actors, relationships that turned into songs, and flings that were, well, short n’ sweet.
Carpenter recently told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that Short n’ Sweet wasn’t a reference to her “vertically challenged” height. “I thought about some of these relationships and how some of them were the shortest I’ve ever had, and they affected me the most,” she said. So far, fans have speculated that many of the songs on her new album are about her on-and-off again beau Barry Keoghan, as well as her ex Shawn Mendes.
Below, see everything you need to know about Sabrina’s dating history.
Bradley Steven Perry
Dated from 2014–2015
Back when she was on Girl Meets World, Sabrina dated fellow Disney actor Bradley Steven Perry. They started dating in 2014, and Carpenter opened up to J-14 at the time about how their romance started. “[It was a] really unique way to ask someone out,” she said. “[It was] like the pirate movies, like, they do the little bottles and they put notes in them and send them across the ocean, like one of those, and [he] put a note inside. It was cute.”
The couple broke up after a year, but they seem to be on good terms. Bradley recently complimented Sabrina on his podcast, The Sit and Chat. “My first girlfriend’s doin’ way better than anybody, mostly in the world, I would say,” he said. “She’s way too good for this podcast.”
Joshua Bassett
Dated in 2020
Sabrina famously dated another fellow Disney star in the summer and fall of 2020. She coupled up with Joshua Bassett after he and Olivia Rodrigo split—inspiring Rodrigo’s hit song “drivers license.” The drama inspired Sabrina to pen some songs too, including “Skin,” while Bassett delivered his own version of the news on “Crisis.”
Carpenter and Bassett had a short-lived romance, although they did share some cute moments. One of their more adorable ones was when they dressed up as Sharkboy and Lavagirl for Halloween, sharing pictures and videos of their costumes. By 2021, Bassett confirmed he was single in an interview with GQ.
Shawn Mendes
Dated in 2023
Sabrina was spotted with Shawn Mendes in January 2023, and shortly after, the two could were seen leaving Miley Cyrus’s release party together. Their fling seemed to be cut short, however, after Mendes reunited with on-and-off girlfriend Camila Cabello; Sabrina seemingly references their split on Short n’ Sweet.
In “Taste,” the singer gives a warning to her ex-lover’s new girl, and predicts all the moves he’s pulling on his rebound, since she witnessed them firsthand. In the chorus, she sings: “I heard you’re back together and if that’s true / You’ll just have to taste me when he’s kissin’ you.” In the second verse, she offers another piece of evidence: “He’s funny, now all his jokes hit different / Guess who he learned that from?”
Fans have speculated the lyrics refer to Mendes and Cabello.
Barry Keoghan
Began dating in 2023
Sabrina and Irish actor Barry Keoghan first sparked dating rumors in December 2023, when they were spotted together in Los Angeles. By February 2024, the couple were photographed hanging out at a W magazine afterparty, and they were confirmed to be dating later that month by People.
Since then, Keoghan and Carpenter have gone on double dates with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, and Keoghan has repeatedly worn bracelets with her name on them. In June, they made the hardest of hard launches with Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” music video, which features Keoghan as the singer’s on-screen boyfriend.
In August, breakup rumors began to swirl. The Saltburn actor seemed to respond to them by liking Carpenter’s post on Instagram promoting her album and newest song, “Needless to Say,” perhaps confirming their continued relationship. Meanwhile, a source revealed to People that the couple were “on and off.”
Amid the split rumors, Carpenter spoke to The Guardian about her “Please Please Please” music video. Working with Keoghan was “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” she told the publication. “I’m very honored and I got to work with such a great actor!” She then mocked “her own coy diplomacy in a nasal voice,” according to the outlet, repeating, “Such a great actor!”
And with the recent release of Short n’ Sweet, fans have been deciphering lyrics for clues about her relationship with Keoghan. One song, “Bed Chem,” seems to reference the sexual chemistry between two lovers.
The song begins with the singer recalling a meet-cute. Carpenter remembers she was in a “sheer dress,” and asks, “who is the cute boy with the white jacket and the thick accent?” Fans have connected these lyrics to Keoghan, who reportedly first met Carpenter at Givenchy’s Spring-Summer 2024 show in September 2023, where he was wearing a white jacket.
Although Carpenter doesn’t name drop the lover she’s singing about, she did offer more lyrical clues that seem to reference Keoghan. She describes her man as a “cute guy with the wide, blue eyes,” and “not in my timezone.”
On August 27, Keoghan sparked speculation that he and Carpenter were still involved when he commented on an Instagram featuring her and her “Taste” music video co-star Jenna Ortega as Bratz dolls. “Can I have one?” he wrote.
Maya Ernest is an editor who covers everything from the latest fashion news to features that investigate personal style, social media trends, and thoughtful consumption.