John Mayer Says He Doesn't 'Really Date' After Getting Sober: 'I Don't Have the Liquid Courage'
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic John Mayer
John Mayer is giving insight into his decision to drop out of the dating game.
The Grammy winner, 45, discussed the role his sobriety has played in his dating tendencies (or now, lack thereof) on the Call Her Daddy podcast's first-ever holiday special.
"Dating is no longer a codified activity for me, it doesn't exist in a kind of… it's not patterned anymore," he told host Alex Cooper.
"I don't really date — I don't think that I have to, to be quite honest. I quit drinking like six years ago, so I don't have the liquid courage. I just have dry courage," he added. "You have to be honest. You have to express yourself — you have to be glaringly honest… You have to express your anxieties — you can't just walk over them by drinking."
The catalyst for Mayer's sobriety came in the form of Drake's 30th birthday and the subsequent six-day hangover Mayer suffered as a result of drinking at the party.
The guitarist has not had a drink since Oct. 23, 2016, he previously shared.
Mayer, who's famously been linked to Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly and Jennifer Love Hewitt, also addressed his reputation for being a "womanizer."
"I think, look, the elephant in the room is that I'm on a show that caters to women, and I have a couple of nameplates on me, like 'lothario' and 'womanizer,' and I think that is what that is," he told Cooper.
"But I think people would be surprised to know that it was less me going like, you know the meme of the guy behind the tree? It was less this [Mayer rubs his hands together] and more like this [Mayer looks around]: Me? Because it was always set forth to me that like, that shouldn't happen," he added.
Shy McGrath/Getty John Mayer
Growing up, Mayer said that he was "made to believe" that if somebody liked or showed any interest in him, the attention was an "accident," and so he should "capitalize" on the opportunity.
"And so I felt very deeply when somebody liked me. Very deeply," the "Gravity" singer explained.
Though he may not be actively dating, Mayer says he's always believed in making love last.
"Every relationship I've ever been in was devoted to the idea that this could go the distance," he said.
"My entire life, today included, if you told me that I could have a great two months with someone but it would end on the first day of the third month, I would not be interested," continued the singer-songwriter. "I've always sought potential for a long-term relationship."
