Ne-Yo is sharing details about his relationship with three women — and whether they can date other men.
The “So Sick” crooner (real name Shaffer Chimere Smith) first went public with his polyamorous relationship in early 2025, introducing girlfriends Arielle Hill, Moneii and Cristina to the world. (At the time, he said he was also dating a fourth woman, Brionna “Bri” Williams, though it’s not clear if they are still together or have since split.)
During an upcoming appearance on Sherri Shepherd’s eponymous talk show, set to air on Friday, January 16, Ne-Yo, 46, said he opted for a nontraditional relationship after his “very public, very ugly” divorce from ex-wife Crystal Renay, which was finalized in February 2023.
“I made the decision that I was never going to tell another lie to a woman ever again in life,” he said. “I own the things that I did in that marriage to mess it up, I only completely, and I decided I didn’t want to be the reason that anybody ever felt like that ever again.”
Ne-Yo and Crystal Renay’s Relationship Timeline
Ne-Yo continued, “I went to one of the women, one of the three, [who] I’ve been with a little longer than the other ones. I basically went to her and said, ‘Listen, you know I rock with you, you know I love you, but I have to be honest with you, it’s not just you. I would love for you to meet these other women and if we can figure out a way to do something together, cool. If not, that’s cool, too.’”
“I let her decide, I let them choose [and] everybody chose to stick around,” he added.
Ne-Yo clarified that he is not “in three relationships … I’m in one relationship with three people.”
Shepherd, 58, then asked the “Closer” singer if his girlfriends can date other men, to which he emphatically responded, “No.”
“OK, so here’s the thing: I’ve made no request for exclusivity of any of these women,” he explained. “I’ve never said, ‘If it ain’t me, it ain’t nothing.’ I’ve never said that. I didn’t ask for them to be with me — they said they want to be with me.”
Ne-Yo continued, “They gave me their exclusivity, meaning, if you gave it to me, it’s mine and that’s that.”
“I deal in partnership as opposed to ownership. I don’t want to own you, I don’t want to possess you — I want to partner in this, and we can partner and work it out that way,” he added. “But if the exclusivity is mine, it’s mine, damn it. You ain’t giving it to nobody. You gave it to me, it’s mine.”
In February 2025, the singer shared that he is honest about his relationship dynamic with his seven children.
Ne-Yo Explains ‘Phenomenal’ Polyamorous Relationship With 4 Different Women
“I answer them [truthfully],” he said during an appearance on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “[It’s] honesty. I’m not lying to nobody, not even my children.”
He added, “It’s like, ‘Hey, this is daddy’s girlfriend. And so is that, and so is that, and so is that. She gonna make you some cereal, she gonna cook lunch and she gonna wash your clothes.’ And it’s all good.”
