‘Wildly invasive, strange and inappropriate’: Troye Sivan’s fury over interview

Troye Sivan has lashed out at an LGBT publication after he was asked if he was a “top or bottom” and if he'd been intimate with Shawn Mendes.

Bella Fowler

2 min read

August 30, 2019 - 1:24PM

Pop star Troye Sivan. Picture: Mark Stewart

Australian singer Troye Sivan has called out the “wildly invasive, strange and inappropriate” questions he was asked by New Zealand publication Gay Nation, including whether he’s a “top or bottom”.

A photo of the print interview was posted to Twitter by a fan yesterday and quickly gained traction, with many equally as shocked the 24-year-old was probed about his sex life over his new album Bloom.

On spotting the piece, Sivan took the opportunity to comment on the experience, explaining that he, too, was taken aback by the prying questions.

I thought about asking the interviewer about his absolute fave sex position after that last question, but then i remembered how wildly invasive, strange and innapropriate that would be. Didnâ€™t stop him though! https://t.co/mo80DziQrH
— troye (@troyesivan) August 28, 2019

In addition to a “quick fire” section concluding with a query about his preferred sexual position, he was asked about his “celebrity crush” on Shawn Mendes and if things got “too steamy” when he first met the American singer-songwriter.

Mendes identifies as straight and has been outspoken in the past about the painful toll of rumours surrounding his sexuality.

Mendes is dating Señorita singer Camila Cabello.

Troye Sivan has slammed the ‘wildly invasive’ questions he was asked about his sex life and Shawn Mendes. Picture: John Sciulli/Getty Images for Gucci

Making his disappointment known on Twitter, the star posted: “I thought about asking the interviewer about his absolute fave sex position after that last question, but then I remembered how wildly invasive, strange and in appropriate that would be. Didn’t stop him though!”

He followed the tweet with simply; “Next time I’ll just to a Twitter q & a.”

Next time Iâ€™ll just do a Twitter q&a
— troye (@troyesivan) August 28, 2019

Following the Twitter outburst, the story was picked up by another LGBT publication, outmagazine, which opened with the line: “Troye Sivan is putting a queer journalist on blast for daring to ask him whether he’s a top or a bottom — even though he once said his album Bloom was full of “#bopsaboutbottoming.”

Pop star Troye Sivan. Picture: Supplied

Responding to the pointed angle taken by the publication, the star tweeted: “Firstly, Bloom is an album about love. I said that in every single interview I did about the album. Suggesting that I made the entire album about bottoming is over sexualising me + my work, and is reductive.”

Firstly, Bloom is an album about love. I said that in every single interview i did about the album. Suggesting that i made the entire album about bottoming is over sexualising me + my work, and is reductive
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019

He continued to discuss the nuances of the interview in a series of follow-up tweets, saying he doubts straight artists would receive the same treatment.

“I highly doubt anyone would ask any of my straight peers explicit questions about who does what to who in their relationship, no matter the content of their music,” he wrote.

“I don’t think artists should have to expect to be asked about that when they show up to work in the morning.”

I highly doubt anyone would ask any of my straight peers explicit questions about who does what to who in their relationship, no matter the content of their music. I donâ€™t think artists should have to expect to be asked about that when they show up to work in the morning
— troye (@troyesivan) August 29, 2019

The outmagazine article has since been affixed with an editor’s note claiming the piece has been “condensed and revised accordingly” due to not meeting editorial standards.