Ne-Yo understands that his love life is truly one in a million, yet he's left wondering why it's impacting his professional endeavors. The artist, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, revealed that his job prospects have suffered since he publicly debuted his polyamorous relationship with Cristina (nicknamed "Pretty Baby"), Arielle Hill ("Twin Flame"), and Moneii ("Phoenix Feather").
"The world is absolutely mad that I'm in a polyamorous relationship," the 46-year-old told Tish Cyrus and Brandi Cyrus on their Sorry We're Cyrus podcast episode from May 7. "There are people who are upset. I've missed out on deals because they're saying, 'I don't know if we can support the whole polyamorous thing.' It's like, 'Okay, what?'"
In fact, he's not sure why his personal life matters at all. "It's almost like you can be a great person and show respect and appreciation," he continued, "but the second you do something they don't agree with—cancel. And that just doesn't make any sense to me."
Instead, the "One in a Million" artist—who was previously married to Crystal Renay until 2023—believes people would be more accepting if they took the time to understand his relationship. "You have to witness it," he said. "People say the dumbest stuff like, 'It's degrading.' Degrading to who? I'm not lying to anyone. Everyone is here by choice. Like, who's being degraded? Who's being disrespected? What are you talking about?"
But at the same time, he "can't give the haters any more energy."
Since debuting his polyamorous relationship—which at one point included four women—Ne-Yo has been publicly candid about his love life. In fact, he recently shared an online tribute to Cristina, Arielle, and Moneii in honor of their anniversary.
"Most can only dream of a love like this," he captioned his May 10 Instagram post. "Most can only imagine what it feels like to wake up smiling every morning, walking into whatever the day may bring, loving life, knowing your team is strong and the love is real. To most, it can only be a fantasy. BUT IT’S OUR REALITY. And I recognize you all as the blessings you are."
But like any relationship, it has its highs and lows. "We've been together for about three years now," he continued. "We've had our ups and downs, rainy days, sunny days, etc. The good has absolutely outweighed the bad in every way. We are not yet what we ultimately need to be; we are all works in progress. But I will match your effort, I will lead with love, and we will continue to make life lovely for each other."
As for the haters, "let them say what they want," Ne-Yo concluded. "We're happy over here. And we will continue to be so. I love you all with my everything!!"
