Shawn Mendes showed off Sunday's snow flurries in downtown Toronto in an Instagram Story – while appearing to break Ontario's distracted driving law.
The singer posted a video clip that was shot at 9:17 a.m. while he was driving east on Front Street and listening to his Wonder track "Dream." His left hand is visible on the steering wheel but he is evidently holding his phone with his right hand.
According to Ontario law, “it’s against the law to use hand-held communication and electronic entertainment devices while driving.” The government says “a driver using a phone is four times more likely to crash than a driver focusing on the road.”
If caught in the act, a driver faces a fine of at least $615 as well as three demerit points and a three-day license suspension for a first-time offence.
But, it seems Mendes has other things on his mind.
In a video message shot last week inside his condo, he admitted: “I’m having a little bit of a hard time with social media at the moment and just kind of my relationship with it.”
But, Mendes wanted fans to know he appreciates their support of “It’ll Be Okay,” an emotional song about his split from Camila Cabello that he released on Dec. 1.
“When I make music the ultimate goal is to be sitting there and have some sort of my own truth revealed to me,” he explained, “and, you know, a lot of the time when I’m writing songs I’m usually using music as a platform to be able to get to a place inside of myself that I wouldn’t be able to get to by just talking with people or thinking about it.”
Mendes, who kicks off his Wonder world tour in Copenhagen in March, said he feels “so proud” of the song. It is currently No. 70 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart after three weeks (it peaked at No. 46).
“I feel so grateful that you guys are connecting with it and I’m so grateful that people are being vulnerable with it and people are just having fun with it,” he said.