Grammy winner Ne-Yo wants to explore relationships on his own terms — that is, multiple relationships all at once.
Fresh off a contentious divorce from “Bold & Bougie” star Crystal Renay, the singer is experimenting with being in a “throuple” for the first time and he believes polygamy — the practice of having more than one spouse — should be legalized.
He and Crystal finalized their divorce last year after he welcomed two children with another woman during their eight-year marriage.
The father of seven was not shy about flaunting his two new romantic partners when TMZ caught up to him at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles on April 18. The trio was strolling down the street, hand in hand in hand, when Ne-Yo got candid about his thoughts on alternative relationships with a reporter.
On the topic of polygamy, which has been banned in the U.S. since 1882, he said, “To be honest, I don’t need the government to tell me what it is I can and can’t do with my personal life,” adding that he thinks marrying more than one person should be legal.
“In the realm of love and romance, you should let people do whatever the hell they want to do. Can’t see how it’s hurting anybody,” he stated when asked about his new situationship.
Fans had words of caution for Ne-Yo. “I bet lawyers love that terrible idea,” said one person on X.
Another brought up some practical questions, “He has the money to do it. He also only dates black women so they can’t hate on him for that. I wonder what would happen if polygamy was allowed and both wives wanted to divorce. How much would they get from him? Would the first wife be entitled to more?”
Though Ne-Yo is a proponent of marrying multiple women, he seems noncommittal about the subject in his personal life and shied away from the question. “I’m not gonna let it ruin my day. At the end of the day, the people I love know I love them, and they love me,” he stated.
Ne-Yo holds hands with his two female partners after getting a divorce and says polygamy should be legalized.
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Alternative relationship styles like ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, and open relationships have become more mainstream in recent years. In 2021, a national survey found that a whopping 4 to 5 percent of the U.S. population practices polyamory, and celebrities are often leading the charge, normalizing romantic entanglements that would have shocked people a generation ago.
But polygamy is another story: every state has laws against getting married while already being married to someone else, and it’s still one of the least “morally accepted” behaviors, ranking just below “cloning animals” in a Gallup poll.
Ne-Yo noted that this is his first polyamorous relationship and was hesitant to recommend it to others. “I don’t recommend anything to anybody. What works for me might not work for you. Find out what works for you.”
His two lady loves remained quiet on the topic of marrying Ne-Yo one day, letting out a few chuckles at the question as they walked down the street.
The ”So Sick” crooner is known for his smooth falsetto and confessional lyrics, which tackle personal topics about love and heartbreak, but it’s been two years since his last album, “Self Explanatory,” dropped.
Will his new girlfriends and “throuple” experience find their way into future songs? Ne-Yo hinted that it “will come to pass,” saying, “I don’t force it. When it comes to music, it happens naturally. It happens organically.”
