What Ne-Yo Has Shared About His Polyamorous Relationship With 3 Women

Sarah Grossbart Sun, October 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTC

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Originally appeared on E! Online

Safe to say Ne-Yo still prefers a "Miss Independent" type. But in addition to being able to walk like a boss, talk like a boss and have manicured nails that set the pedicure off, the kinda girl he needs is one that's down with his unique arrangement.

"Most can only dream of a love like this," the "Closer" musician acknowledged in a May 10 Instagram tribute to longtime girlfriends Cristina, Arielle Hill and Moneii. "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."

Though, admittedly, he's so sick of people weighing in with opinions about his arrangement.

"The world is mad at the fact that I'm in a polyamorous relationship," Ne-Yo, celebrating his 47th birthday Oct. 18, explained to Tish Cyrus and Brandi Cyrus on a May episode of their Sorry We’re Cyrus podcast. "There are people upset."

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In fact, continued the singer—who is dad to two kids with ex Monyetta Shaw, three kids with former wife Crystal Renay and two kids with ex Sadé Jenea—"There's deals that I missed out on because they're like, 'I don't know if we can get behind the whole polyamorous [thing].' It’s like, 'Okay what?'"

Because it's all love amongst him and his partners. (Though Ne-Yo had introduced his nearly five million Instagram followers to fourth girlfriend Brionna Williams last year, the choreographer wasn't included in his May 10 post.)

Ne-Yo/Instagram

"You have to witness it," the star (born Shaffer Chimere Smith) explained to Tish and Brandi of how their partnership functions. "'Cause people say the dumbest stuff like, 'It's degrading.' Degrading to who? I'm not lying to nobody. Everybody is here by choice.'"

For those who can't figure it out, he says the success of their foursome comes from open communication.

When ex-wife Crystal filed for divorce in 2022, she accused him of being unfaithful. At the time, Ne-Yo stressed that their "personal matters are not meant to be addressed and dissected in public forums." But given the chance to start fresh, "I decided, 'You know what? I aint lying to nobody no more,'" he explained on a March 2025 episode of BigBoyTV. "I hurt a lot of people with just being dishonest about things that I could’ve been honest about."

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So now he makes it a point to be direct about exactly what he wants.

"I ain't manipulating nobody. I ain't brainwashing nobody. I aint lying to nobody," he explained on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show in February 2025. "I set it out there. 'Here's what it is: I like you, but I also like her, and her and her. If you cool with that, come on. We’re gonna have a great time. If you’re not, thank you for your time. Go on about your business and we’re straight.'"

Even his kidsMadilyn, 15, Mason, 15, Shaffer, 10, Roman, 8, Isabella, 5, Braiden and Brixton get the unvarnished truth.

"It's like, 'Hey, this is daddy’s girlfriend. And so is that, and so is that, and so is that,'" he noted. "'She gonna make you some cereal, she gonna cook lunch and she gonna wash your clothes.' And it’s all good."

But while Ne-Yo was upfront with each girlfriend about his non-monogamy, he said they have no interest in coming closer to any other men.

Ne-Yo/Instagram

"When I got with these women, I did not ask for their exclusivity," he insisted during an April 2025 appearance on The Angie Martinez Show. "I did not demand their exclusivity. They asked for it. They came to me and said, 'I want to be exclusive to you and just you.' I said, 'You understand that your exclusivity to me, does not mean my exclusivity to you? You understand this, yes? You're OK with it?'"

Because above all else, his No. 1 relationship rule "is to just keep it a buck," he added. "We’re not gonna lie."

Had he committed to this form of no-holds-barred honesty in previous relationships, he shared on Rickey Smiley, "I could've saved myself a lot of headache and heartache."

Ne-Yo/Instagram

And should any of his partners have a change of heart, "The door is never locked," he added. "You have permission to go on about your business. I don’t want anybody to think that I’m manipulating these women into doing something they don’t want to do."

As it stands, the trickiest part of their arrangement was ordering a custom Alaskan King-sized bed. ("That’s like two California Kings next to each other," he explained to YouTuber Kai Cenat last September.)

And now that he's made that bed, they're all quite eager to lie in it. Of course, they're not alone in enjoying a less-than-conventional arrangement. Check out what other stars have shared about their non-monogamous romances.

(Originally published May 11, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. PT)

Akon

The "Lonely" singer confirmed he has multiple wives in May 2025.As for how many? He said,“I’ll just leave that to your imagination.”And while the musician has multiple rules as part of his polyamorous setup—including a hierarchy structure and that his wives can't have other partners—he emphasized they're making it work.“You got to be mature enough to know that if this is the situation that I'm going to park in, I have to communicate,” he said ontheWe Need to Talkpodcast. “This I like, this I don't like. This I'm for, this I'm not for, and this is what I'm willing to deal with, and this is what I'm not willing to deal with. And once y'all lay down those rules, just abide by them. It's literally that simple.”Jonathan Van Ness

TheQueer Eyestar and their husbandMark Peacockgo through "seasons" of non-monogamy."I'm all about a season," Jonathan said onThe Mitch Churi Chat Showin February 2026, noting that while many might see open relationships as a Pandora’s Box that can’t be closed back up once opened, "We have been able to thread that needle."However, an open communication about boundaries is paramount to making it work."We've been able to go kind of back and forth based off of what is going on in our lives," the hairstylist added, "and that works for us."What is off the table, though?"Polyamorous is definitely not something I could do," the JVN Hair founder admitted. "I just don't have time to deal with a third person's needs. That's a lot."RuPaul

ForRuPauland his husbandGeorges LeBar, having an open relationship works because "it's just realistic," the TV host explained toThe New Yorkerin 2024. "There’s no such thing as monogamy with men."And ultimately, it just made sense for the couple."We didn't decide," theRuPaul's Drag Racestar, who met his husband at New York nightclub Limelight in 1994 some two decades before they wed, toldVanity Fairin 2019. "The hoax is that monogamy is actually something that can actually happen. I wouldn't want to put restraints on the person I love the most on this planet. I wouldn't do that to someone I love, my very best friend."And having an open marriage doesn't make them question their love for each other."Listen, if you get something happening that you cannot resist and that's going to make you happy, go for it," RuPaul continued. "Go for it. Because the truth is, I know in my heart of hearts like I've never known anything before, that man loves me more than anything else in this world."The Sister Wives Stars

Kody Brownonce said, "Love should be multiplied, not divided."And for decades, he was in a plural marriage with wivesMeri Brown,JanelleBrown,Christine BrownandRobyn Brown—their journey documented on the seriesSister Wives."I just fell in love," the father of 18 said on the first episode in 2010, "and then I fell in love again and I fell in love again."However, he's since fallen out of love with polygamy. Christine and Kodyannounced their breakupin November 2021 and he and Janelleconfirmed their separationin December 2022. A month later, Meri revealed their decision to"permanently terminate" their marriage. As a result, Robyn is Kody's sole wife."I'm not an advocate of plural marriage, but I've had my own experience in it and I've had my own failures in it," he toldPeoplein December 2023. "Because of that, I'm like, you got to be really, really wise about who is doing it, how they're doing it."And while Kody said it can work for some people, he noted "there's those marriages that have people who know each other very, very, very well, and they still don't work."Some of Kody's exes have since embraced monogamy—like Christine, who wedDavid Woolleyin 2023 and has said on the show she "wouldn't live polygamy again." Others, like Janelle, have said they "would consider a plural marriage again."As for wife Robyn, she said on a 2024 episodeshe'd do plural marriage againifshe could guarantee a "positive successful experience."Willow Smith

Willow Smithbroughta discussion on non-monogamyto the red table."With polyamory, I feel like the main foundation is the freedom to be able to create a relationship style that works for you,"Will SmithandJada PinkettSmith's youngest said on a 2021 episode ofRed Table Talk, "and not just stepping into monogamy because that's what everyone around you says is the right thing to do."And Jada and fellow cohostAdrienne Banfield-Norrislistened to what Willow had to say."The main reasons why monogamists' relationships or why marriage, why divorces happen is infidelity," the "Whip My Hair" artist continued. "Let's say you haven't always been the kind of person that wanted to have sex all the time, but your partner is. Are you gonna be the person to say, 'Just because I don't have these needs, you can't have them either?'"But that doesn't mean they always agreed. And when Willow's Gammy raised questions about sex, Willow replied, "In my friend group, I'm the only polyamorous person, and I have the least sex out of all my friends."Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodleybelieves the only opinions that matter in a relationship are the ones of the people in it."Listen, I’m someone who has experienced both an open relationship and a deeply monogamous relationship in my life, and I think we’re in a day and age where there should be no rules except for the ones designed by two people in a partnership — or three people, whatever floats your boat!" theBig Little Liesstar toldThe New York Timesin 2020. "But there has to be a level of responsibility in any relationship dynamic, and that responsibility is simply honesty and communication and trust. Apart from that, it’s really none of our business what people choose to do with their lives."Ne-Yo

When you’re mad atNe-Yoabout his polyamorous relationships, he doesn’t give it another thought."Them: 'NEYO WE DON'T APPROVE OF YOUR POLY RELATIONSHIP,'" the singer wrote on his Instagram Stories in February, later adding, “Fun fact: I don't care."And Ne-Yo—who was married toCrystal Renayfor almost seven years before they finalized their divorce in 2023—introduced the internet to his four girlfriends in March 2025."It works," the Grammy winner said on a February 2025 episode of theRickey Smiley Morning Show. "Everybody’s honest. Everybody’s telling the truth. Everybody is consenting. I feel like I wasted a lot of time just being dishonest about things to the point where had I taken this approach initially I probably could have saved myself a lot of headache and heartache."However, that doesn't mean polyamory works for everybody."Please understand that I'm not in here saying that everybody should try what I'm trying and do what I'm doing," Ne-Yo clarified. "I'm telling y'all what works for me. I'm showing y'all what works for me. And if you agree, cool. If you don't, cool. Either way you slice it, I'm happier than I've ever been, I'm more zen than I've ever been and that's what it is—that's the important part. I don't need everybody to agree. I'm not doing it for y'all."Nick Cannon

There’s been a lot of talk aboutNick Cannonraising kids with multiple women. However,The Masked Singerhost hasshared his thoughts on monogamy before.“That’s a Eurocentric concept when you think about the ideas of you're supposed to have this one person for the rest of your life, and really that's just a classified property when you think about it," he said on a 2021 episode ofThe Breakfast Club, later adding. "Just the idea that a man should have one woman, we shouldn'thaveanything. I have no ownership over this person. Like, if we really talking about how we coexist and how we populate, it's about what exchange can we create together? So, I've never really subscribed to that mentality."Nick shares twinsMoroccanandMonroewith ex-wifeMariah Carey, kidsGoldenSagon,Powerful QueenandRise MessiahwithBrittany Bell, sonLegendary LovewithBre Tiesiand daughterOnyx IcewithLaNisha Cole. In addition, theWild 'n Outstar welcomed three kids withAbby De La Rosa—twinsZion MixolydianandZillion Heiras well as daughterBeautiful Zeppelin—and two withAlyssa Scott: daughterHalo Marieand late sonZen."Those women and all women are the ones that open themselves up to say, 'I would like to allow this man in my world, and I will birth this child,'" Nick continued. "So, it ain't my decision. I'm following suit."Bella Thorne

WhileBella Thornehas been in a relationship solely withfiancéMark Emmssince 2022, she'd previously been in non-monogamous relationships."It’s a really fun experience and I have been able to capture that a couple times, and I just love that idea,” the Disney Channel alum toldCosmopolitanin 2019. "I love loving two people at once. I love sharing stories with three people in one room. So, I’m always trying to find ways to make it work because I think it really would make me happy."However, she understood it wasn’t the right fit for everyone.“A lot of my partners start out like 'what?’ and I’m like, 'Bro, this is who I am,’” Bella added at the time. "So, you’re either down or you're not down and I totally understand if you’re not down. At this point in my life, I want to find what makes me the happiest, and that is the mission I am on. If you don’t want to be on that mission with me, then okay, I totally understand. If it will hurt you too much, then we’re not right for each other at this moment in my life because this is what I’m looking for.”Yungblud

As for Yungblud, he's shared he identifies as pansexual and polyamorous."I probably would say now, I am polyamorous," the musician, also known asDominic Harrison, toldAttitudein 2020. "Before I didn’t f--king know what I was. I was meeting people and learning… by meeting them and talking about sexuality and gender, I [was] going, 'Oh my f--king God, maybe I’m this, if I’m going to be f--king close to anything on the spectrum.'"Bob the Drag Queen

Bob the Drag Queenhas two partners and is happy they’re in other relationships too."I have a partner in L.A. and a partner in Georgia,"The Traitorsstar said on an April 2025 episode ofBoyfriend Material With Harry Jowsey. “They know each other. They’re not super close, but they do like each other. My partners also have partners too, which is great for me. I’m a really independent person, and I actually don’t like the idea of being someone's everything. I actually kind of get exhausted at the idea of being around someone all the time. So having your partner have a partner is really a gift."Nico Tortorella & Bethany C. Meyers

In 2018,Nico TortorellaandBethany C. Meyerstied the knot and penned an essay about their relationship."If you had to label it, Nico and I are in a queer polyamorous relationship," theI Am More Than My Bodyauthor wrote in a piece forThem. "Labels that help people understand, but not labels that define us. Most think we planned this and one day decided we would be multiple-love kind of people. We didn’t. It’s just the way our relationship developed over 12 years."However,Nico and Bethany's relationshipshifted to monogamous during the coronavirus pandemic and as they welcomed kidsKilmerandPesce Pearl."To answer your question point blank: Are you still open?" theYoungerstar noted on a 2024 episode of their podcastFull of Shift. "No. Right now, we're not."However, they're, uh, open to the possibility of re-exploring non-monogamy again one day."Is that to say that in the future it could be different?" Nico continued. "Who knows?"Omarion

FromOmarion’s perspective, monogamy just doesn’t hit the right note.And as the singer explained on aFebruary 2025 episode ofSherri, "being open is important" to him."The women just truly outnumber the men," he told hostSherriShepherd, later adding, "It’s only a few good men. Whether or not it’s a physical thing, we end up fostering the next generation as well….Why not have our queens align with that? It takes a village. It’s not gonna just be one man. You can get married—that man still aint going to be just your man. He’s gonna be there for his daughter, he’s going to be there for his mom, his grandmother.”So as Omarion sees it, “This concept isn’t really foreign, it’s just a little old and it’s meant to be upgraded.” And he’d like there to be more discussions on the topic."I love this conversation because I think when men are open and honest that they don’t wanna have just this one thing for the rest of their life, it gives a woman the opportunity to choose and further understand a man," the musician added. "Because I think that women don’t really understand a man. Certain women do, but there’s a larger conversation that has to be had about understanding men and how we’re meant to spread our seed."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”