Is Cameron Monaghan Gay? He Has Dated Only Women & His Current Girlfriend Is a Model

After starring as Ian Gallagher on "Shameless" for ten years, fans began to wonder, is Cameron Monaghan gay both on and off-screen? However, the actor set the record straight about his orientation and revealed that while he fully embraced his homosexual character, he is not gay.

Monaghan has had a passion for acting since he was a little boy, and after auditioning and landing roles for different movies and TV shows over the years, his acting career took off when he landed a role in "Shameless." Fans were introduced to Monaghan in the first season, where he played a gay teenager having an affair with an older man.

The actor played the role of Ian Gallagher for a decade, and while his talent made his acting convincing, Monaghan revealed that he is not gay. In fact, all his public relationships have been with women, including his two-year relationship with Peyton List and his newer romance that started as a secret.

Cameron Monaghan Played a Gay Character but Is Straight in Real Life

After growing up a fan of movies and television shows, Monaghan was "really young" when he told his mom he wanted to pursue a career in acting. His supportive mom got him involved in local theater and commercials, and before they knew it, Monaghan was auditioning for movies and television.

He landed one of his first roles in "The Music Man," starring Matthew Broderick and Kristen Chenoweth in 2003. "From there, I just kept going," Monaghan said. In 2011, when Mongahan was a teenager, he was cast to play Ian Gallagher alongside William H. Macy and Jeremy Allen White in Showtime's "Shameless."

During the first season, Mongahan played a closeted gay teenager who had a female friend act as his beard while he found himself having an affair with his older male boss. However, off-screen, Monaghan has only ever had confirmed relationships with women.

But according to the show's executive producer, John Wells, Monaghan had "completely embraced the idea of this character." Although the R-rated nature of the show came as a shock for the actor, Monaghan revealed that he was pleased to show support to the gay community. He shared:

"You know, I'm not gay myself, but it's a role I'm very happy to play. I'm always happy to support the gay community. Ian's a really fantastic part. A non-stereotypical part. And I think a lot of teens—and a lot of gay teens, especially—will really relate to the role."

After receiving the script for "Shameless," Monaghan admitted that he was hooked before he had even been cast and believed that he played a character that was relatable for all teenagers.

The actor also noted that his role was "the anti-stereotype" for what is "stereotypically perceived as 'gay.'" "He's tough, he's street smart, and he's pretty much unlike any gay teenager on television right now," Monaghan said during an interview in 2011.

Cameron Monaghan Is Currently Dating Lauren Searle

In October 2020, Monaghan broke the news of his and his model girlfriend's relationship when he took to social media to post a steamy photo of the couple kissing outside a camping tent. The woman in the picture was Lauren Searle, a Los Angeles-based model who works for modeling agencies Vision LA and Heros Model.

Monaghan reportedly captioned the now-deleted intimate photo, "Mentally still here." Searle also posted a series of pictures from the same camping trip in November 2020, including one that showed her dipping food in a container of sauce held by a faceless hand. "First fried pickle courtesy of my personal sauce holder," the caption read, and Searle tagged Monaghan in the picture.

In September 2020, the model tagged Monaghan in another Instagram post of her reaching for a Jenga piece. "Smol hands or big Jenga (sic)," she captioned the post. Monaghan was also tagged in another post in December 2020.

As Searle showcased her modeling talent while posing in the SKIMS Boyfriend collection, she revealed that Monaghan had been the eye behind the camera. However, according to reports, Searle has shared more couple content of her and Monaghan that she has since removed, leading to questions about whether the couple is still together.

Before Searle, Monaghan was romantically linked to British model Sadie Newman in 2015. Newman models for Elite Model Management NYC and Wilhelmina Los Angeles and tried her hand at acting. In 2018, she appeared in "Holmes & Watson," a movie starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

Monaghan reportedly also dated his "Shameless" co-star, Ruby Modine, who played Sierra Morton in the series. She also appeared in the horror film "Happy Death Day" and its sequel. But the most well-known of Monaghan's past romances was his relationship with Peyton List from "Jessie," co-starring Debby Ryan.

Monaghan and List began dating after they shared the silver screen on "Anthem of a Teenage Prophet." During the early stages of their romance, the two actors kept pursed lips about their relationship until List revealed during an interview:

"He's so understanding, which is so nice, and I am too. We're always like, 'If work comes up, that's fine; that comes first.' I can't imagine having someone who isn't [an actor], but I'm sure they would understand eventually, but it would be difficult."

After nearly two years of dating, List and Monaghan went their separate ways. While List did not comment on the breakup, Monaghan revealed there was no bad blood between the exes in a since-deleted Tweet. "Thanks for sharing nearly two amazing years together. Love you and wish you the best. Who knows what the future may bring..." he shared.