Camila Cabello Named The Celebrity She Lost Her Virginity To At 20 And Said It Was “Late” To Have Her First Relationship

Camila recalled being deeply “lonely” before she met her first-ever boyfriend on The Today Show in 2018.

By
Ellen Durney
by Ellen Durney

BuzzFeed Staff

Camila Cabello got candid about her first-ever relationship and how it “expanded” her world.

Camila Cabello at a celebrity event, wears a sparkling, deep V-neck gown, posing confidently while photographers capture the moment
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

As I’m sure you’ll remember, Camila shot to fame as a member of the girl-group Fifth Harmony, which was formed on The X Factor in 2012. By 2016, she’d officially left the group, and now, at 27 years old, she’s in the throes of a successful career as a solo artist.

Camila Cabello smiling while wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone during a SiriusXM interview
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Over her years in the spotlight, Camila's most high-profile relationship has been with fellow musician Shawn Mendes, whom she dated from 2019 to 2021.

Camila Cabello in a sparkly crop-top and skirt, links arms with Shawn Mendes, who's wearing an open leather jacket on the red carpet as they pose on the red carpet
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However, before she dated Shawn, Camila had a brief but seemingly very transformative romance with relationship coach and writer Matthew Hussey.

Camilla and Matthew pose together for a photo at an event
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Speaking on Monday’s episode of the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, Camila looked back on her relationship with Matthew, whom she met on the set of The Today Show in early 2018 when she was 20 and he was about 30.

Camila Cabello on the red carpet in 2018 wearing a stylish, flowing dress with crisscross straps
Karwai Tang / WireImage

“I was outside where they have the TV with the scripts,” she recalled. “I had actually listened to his podcast before… I listened to his podcast before as a fan because he had, like, a dating podcast.”


Camila said she introduced herself to Matthew, and the pair hit it off from there.

Prior to their fateful meeting, Camila said she’d “never had a boyfriend” and felt incredibly “lonely,” despite being already pretty famous at the time.

Camila Cabello at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, wearing a strapless denim-style top with a zipper
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“I was like, ‘Oh my God. I've never had a boyfriend,’” she told Dax. “There was, like, literally eight songs that were, like, basically, lonely. I am so lonely.”

With this being her first real relationship, Camila also revealed that she had sex for the first time with Matthew — describing it as a “beautiful” experience.

Matthew Hussey and Camilla Cabello holding hands while walking outside a building at night
Gotpap / GC Images

“That was my first relationship. It was late for my first,” she said, clarifying: “That was my first time having sex. First lovemaking was at 20, 21. … It was literally lovemaking. It was beautiful.”

Though their relationship ended in 2019, Camila only had positive things to say about her ex, who she described as “a great partner.”

Matthew Hussey speaking on stage at tn event
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“He was a really great person. It was, like, the perfect first relationship,” she said of Matthew. “Really expanded my world because he wasn't in my industry, too… He just really expanded my references.”

It was only a few months after her split from Matthew that Camila was first linked to Shawn. Meanwhile, Matthew went on to date Audrey Le Strat, who he married in October 2023.

Camila Cabello in a strapless gown and Shawn Mendes in a dark suit with an open collar sitting close together at an event, smiling at the camera
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