Shameless’s Cameron Monaghan is not gay in real life. Unlike his onscreen character, he has only dated women over the years.
Shameless is a TV series that premiered in 2011. It focuses on the dysfunctional Gallagher family comprising of six kids, a drunken and unreliable father named Frank, and an absentee mother named Monica. Cameron Monaghan portrayed one of the Gallagher kids named Ian. His character is a closeted gay who later comes out and he did a fantastic job of bringing the role to life.
Is Cameron Monaghan Gay?
Cameron Monaghan is not gay. He has only dated ladies in real life. However, some people may assume that he is gay, and this is due to the fact that his most notable acting work to date is that of a gay character.
Cameron Monaghan famously portrayed a gay teenager named Ian Gallagher in the TV series, Shameless from 2011 to 2021. His character dealt with the whole gamut of experiences that gay persons often have to deal with.
Ian initially hides his sexuality from his family until his elder brother Lip discovers his cache of gay porn. Lip attempts to help him to get over his sexuality by procuring for him fellatio from a female. When this doesn’t work, Lip accepts him as he is and supports him.
Throughout the run of Shameless, Cameron Monaghan’s gay character engages in relationships with different men. Some of them are older than him, while some are married and closeted gays, for instance, Kash. Ian also briefly has a romance with a bisexual male. His most consistent relationship is, however, with Mickey Milkovich, a neighbor. They end up getting married in season ten of Shameless.
Cameron Monaghan’s portrayal of Ian was so convincing that he won a Critics’ Choice award for best-supporting actor in a comedy series in 2015. Many reviews also praised his character for being nuanced rather than the stereotypical gay teen on TV.
Cameron Monaghan himself agrees with this. He has stated that he loved playing the character of Ian because he wasn’t the typical gay teen. He wasn’t flamboyant but was strong and tough. Monaghan also liked the fact that Ian is a complex personality rather than one-dimensional.
Monaghan has also stated that he was happy to represent the gay community and felt a responsibility as many gay teens were seeking role models.
Cameron Monaghan’s work on Shameless led to some wondering if he was gay, and he outrightly addressed this in 2013. He tweeted that he was not gay and that the question shouldn’t even be relevant. He made it clear that this was the only time that he would address it and that it was odd to be coming out as straight.
Who is Cameron Monaghan Dating Now?
Cameron Monaghan is currently dating Lauren Searle, an Australian-American model and artist. Searle was born on the 13th of December 1998. She picked an interest in posing for the cameras as a result of her photographer dad. She later started modeling in high school and pursued it fully after graduation.
Searle is signed to Heroes Model Management and Vision Los Angeles and has modeled for brands such as Skims, CUUP, Fleur Du Mal, and Guess. She has also appeared in several magazines.
Cameron Monaghan’s girlfriend is also an artist and specializes in paintings. She sells her paintings via her website. She has also been commissioned to do paintings for Found Hotel Santa Monica, which hang in their rooms and common areas.
Cameron Monaghan and Lauren Searle started dating in 2020 and love to keep a low profile. Their public outings and red carpet outings are few and far between, but they attended the September 2021 edition of the MPTF Next Gen Summer Party together. They also attended the world premiere of the Disney and Pixar film, Turning Red in Hollywood, California, on March 1, 2022.
#Instagram | from Lauren Searle's IG Story. pic.twitter.com/35KVTimAsh
— •Cameron Monaghan SOURCE• (@CameronMSOURCE) April 18, 2021
Who has Cameron Monaghan Dated in the Past?
Cameron Monaghan previously dated Peyton List, an American actress and model. She is popular for movies and TV series such as Jessie, Cobra Kai, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Film Series, and The Thinning.
Cameron and Peyton met on the set of the indie film Teenage Prophet in 2017. They dated for nearly two years before breaking up. Monaghan confirmed that they had broken up in a tweet in January 2019. He tagged List and thanked her for sharing nearly two amazing years with him. He restated his love for her and wished her the best.
