Ne-Yo Says Monogamy Is Not for Him: ‘I Don’t Have to Lie Anymore’

Ne-Yo says he began living his truth after admitting that monogamy didn’t work for him.

In an episode of the new YouTube show, Lemon Drop with Karleen Roy, the 45-year-old discussed romance and being honest in relationships over a game of “Lemon or Lit.”

At the 25:39 mark in the video linked above, the “So Sick” singer reflected on “what started out as a lemon” and became “a lit situation,” referring to embracing polyamory following his 2022 divorce from ex-wife Crystal Renay Williams.

“I realized that I've not been living my truth for a very, very long time. I'm living it now, and you could tell—my skin is glowing,” Ne-Yo told Roy.

“Society tells you that you're supposed to be with one person. You get married and y’all supposed to be together forever,” he continued. “I am not shitting on marriage. I'm not shitting on anyone who has figured out how to make that thing work for them. Again, everything's not for everybody. Monogamy is for you. It's not for me.”

The three-time Grammy winner shared that his self-realization was “a weight lifted off my shoulders” after spending “so much time lying and trying to be somebody I wasn’t for the sake of somebody else.”

“Complete and utter time wasted when I could have just been exactly who I am, said exactly what I want, exactly how I'm rocking, exactly how I'm not, and then waited for those people to gravitate to me because that's my reality now,” Ne-Yo explained. “I don't have to lie anymore, and I'll be damned if I ever go back to that person that needed to lie for the appeasement of somebody else. I'm not that no more.”

In fact, the singer revealed that living his truth has improved all of his relationships, including with his ex-wife, who he says are now calling each other “friend” again.

“Striving for happiness—ain't nothing wrong with it,” he added. “As long as my happy ain't messing with anybody else's happy, then I'm in the right place. I'm where I'm supposed to be.”

Ne-Yo, born Shaffer Chimere Smith, was married to Crystal Renay Smith from 2016 to 2023. Renay Smith filed for divorce in 2022 after accusing her then-husband of sleeping with other women throughout their marriage.

When news of the divorce became public, Ne-Yo’s former fiancée, Monyetta Shaw-Carter came forward, claiming that their engagement ended because he kept asking for threesomes.

Last July, the singer was photographed holding hands with two women shortly after his divorce from Renay Smith was finalized.