Cam Newton is a self-described “proud father of seven,” and despite his superstar status he has found himself juggling the complexities of fathering during a pandemic like many other parents. In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, the New England Patriots football player explained that he’s found his biggest struggle during these times to be his separation from his children.
Newton shares four of his children with his ex, Kia Proctor: sons Chosen, Camidas and Cashmere, and daughter Sovereign-Dior. Their fifth, Shakira, is Proctor’s but not his biological child, though he raised her as his own. Additionally, he and reported girlfriend La Reina Shaw have son, Caesar, born in 2019, and he considers Shaw’s son Jaden from a prior relationship as part of the family.
The professional athlete said it was “challenging being away from my children because they didn’t travel with me to Boston.”
“Having the mental fortitude to stay focused on a FaceTime call ― it’s not the easiest to talk to a 2-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, and even the teenagers get over it after about two or three minutes,” he explained. “You ask, ‘How was your day at school today?’ ‘Good.’ ‘Well, how was this?’ ‘Good.’ ‘What are you eating?’ And then they put the phone down and try to hand it off. That’s probably been the most difficult thing.”
Newton has previously discussed the difficulty of playing for New England while the rest of his family lives in Atlanta, and the effort involved in getting his loved ones together.
When he appeared in September 2020 on “The Greg Hill Show,” a WEEI sports radio show, Newton revealed that in spite of signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, he had not considered moving his family to Massachusetts, according to People.
“The whole decision, and not to keep beating a dead horse, this is a business trip for me,” Newton said. “The fact that I don’t have none of my children here in Boston with me and the fact that I haven’t been able to see them on a regularity, that’s angry in itself for me.”
He added, “I wake up every morning missing the hell out of my children, and knowing that if I don’t do what I am supposed to do, then this could be good riddance for me. That is as serious as I am making it and that’s as serious it is.”
Newton did say that he wanted his children to join him in Boston eventually, but recognized that “when you have young children and COVID pandemic, it’s kind of hard. So, through it all, you can’t FaceTime them enough because their kitchen is similar to mine,” he said. “They don’t know how to handle the phone, things like that. That’s one of many different things you just wake up to and ask yourself, ‘What’s your purpose?’ “
The self-proclaimed “ very hands-on dad,” noted that he was a “very family-orientated person,” both realities that can make parenting difficult for him in the face of a pandemic that upended his family’s daily routines.
“Normally, a parent has those hours of breathing time to get themselves together while their kids are at school, but they’re not able to do that because of COVID and schools being closed and classes on Zoom calls,” he noted to Huffington Post.
Newton spoke of how his children are figuring out to dress themselves, and develop their own sense of style, remarking, “If it were up to Chosen, he’d wear his jersey every single day.” He mentioned that daughter Shakira is developing a style, and wearing dark colors with lots of boots, which he said he encourages.
“I try to have her embrace that style because you never know if it’s just a phase or if it’s something that’s gonna spark some type of ventures later on down in life,” he said. “I’m never gonna negate a broader theory you may have for yourself, no matter what age you are.”
Despite some of the obstacles, Newton remains a happy, fulfilled father, satisfied with his sizable family unit. In June of last year, he posted a loving Instagram tribute to his children, showcasing them in touching black-and-white photos.
For Father’s Day, Newton wrote an emotional caption expressing just how happy he was to be their father.
“I’m a proud father of seven. A daddy isn’t defined as the man who makes the child (NOT in all instances) but rather a MAN who extends his hands and time to help with the child’s raising and his heart to LOVE the child through anything! Blood doesn’t always make you DADDY. being a DAD comes from the heart… ANYBODY CAN MAKE A BABY BUT IT TAKES A REAL MAN TO RAISE A CHILD!!”
