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Ne-Yo emerged victorious as the Cow on the season 10 finale of The Masked Singer on December 20, 2023! It was a big moment for the 44-year-old singer-songwriter. “As a songwriter, for me, there’s a bit of a thrill with the whole concept of stepping outside of myself and just being somebody else for a minute,” he told Hollywood Life in exclusive comments after the win. “This one million percent played into that joy and kind of revitalized some of that joy for me because I can honestly say that the music industry will feel some of that joy if you allow it, so thank you to The Masked Singer for refreshing that energy for me and reminding me why I became a songwriter in the first place.”
Behind the scenes, Ne-Yo is a father of seven — and it’s complicated. He made headlines recently when he filed court papers in May to establish paternity of two children he claims he welcomed with his current girlfriend Sade. Two months after his ex-wife Crystal Renay finalized her divorce in February 2023, the Grammy winner sought parental rights for Braiden, who was born in 2021, and Brixton, who arrived in February 2022, per TMZ. The outlet reported that Ne-Yo wants to ensure that the kiddos can collect an inheritance from him in the future.
The surprise legal proceedings followed the messy split between Ne-Yo and Crystal, who took to her Instagram in a since-deleted post in July 2022 to drag her partner for his alleged discrepancies. “8 years of lies and deception. 8 years of unknowingly sharing my life and husband with numerous of women who sell their bodies to him unprotected… every last one of them,” she wrote at the time. “I will no longer lie to the public or pretend that this is something it isn’t. I choose me, I choose my happiness and health and my respect.”
“For the sake of our children, my family and I will work through our challenges behind closed doors,” Ne-Yo replied on Twitter, referring to the three children he shares with Crystal: Isabella Rose, 1, Roman Alexander-Raj, 4, and Shaffer Chimere Jr., 6. “Personal matters are not meant to be addressed and dissected in public forums. I simply ask that you please respect me and my family’s privacy at this time.” Two months later, Crystal filed for divorce.
Along with Crystal’s three kids, Ne-Yo (real name Shaffer Chimere Smith) also shares two children with his ex-fiancée Monyetta Shaw. Let’s meet the big brood, below.
Madilyn & Mason Smith
After meeting at a concert, Ne-Yo proposed to Monyetta in 2010 during a trip to the Dominican Republic. The romance suddenly fizzled in 2013, only two months before their wedding. However, during their time together, they welcomed a daughter Madilyn Grace Smith in November 2010 and a son, Mason Evan Smith, the following year.
Both kids are doing amazing, sweetie, as Monyetta loves to post about them on her Instagram. The gorgeous stunner is also getting ready for another season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta!
Isabella, Roman & Shaffer Jr.
Ne-Yo then got engaged to Crystal in 2015, and tied the knot in 2016, the same year they welcomed their first child together, son Shaffer Chimere Jr. Two years later, Roman arrived. Their daughter, Isabella Rose, arrived in February 2021. Crystal may have ended her relationship with Ne-Yo on a sour note, but she sings the praises of her babies on her Instagram.
Braiden & Brixton
As mentioned above, Neyo says he welcomed sons Braiden in 2021 and Brixton with his ex, social media influencer Sade, in 2022. Per TMZ, in May 2023 he filed papers to establish paternity and parental rights with his two youngest children. In July of 2023, the singer shared several photos on Instagram of himself and his seven children sitting on a couch at home. “I’m a FATHER before I’m anything else,” he captioned the July 7 photos.
In September of 2023, he was declared the legal father of Braiden and Brixton, per Page Six.
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