NE-YO is letting the world know that his polyamorous relationship is a personal choice and it is also something he says has affected his bottom line.

During a recent appearance on the “Sorry We’re Cyrus” podcast with Tish and Brandi Cyrus, the R&B singer said he has lost business because people are uncomfortable with the way he lives and loves. “There’s deals that I missed out on,” he said, explaining that some opportunities vanished because brands and partners did not know if they could “get behind the whole polyamorous” setup.

“The world is mad at the fact that I'm in a polyamorous relationship. There are people upset,” the 46-year-old said while speaking to the hosts. 

NE-YO, whose real name is Shaffer Chimere Smith, has been open about sharing a home with three partners — Arielle Hill, Cristina, and Moneii — along with their children. He described the arrangement as one built on honesty, and not just physical connection, saying, “We are a family. We love each other. People hear it, and they instantly go to sex. It’s community above anything else.” 

The singer also made it clear that he believes people misunderstand what his household actually is. Rather than seeing it as chaos, he called it a shared commitment rooted in consent and transparency. “People say the dumbest stuff, like, ‘It's degrading.' Degrading to who? I'm not lying to nobody. Everybody is here by choice,” he continued. On the podcast, he said that if someone is not comfortable with the dynamic, they are free to walk away — but he is not interested in pretending or hiding who he is. 

“It's almost like you can be a great person. You can show respect and appreciation [for your fans and colleagues], but the second you do something that they don't agree with, canceled, you know what I mean? And that just doesn't make any sense to me,” he said. 

The singer also shared that after his marriage with Crystal Renay ended, he leaned into honesty over everything. “I decided after that, I was never going to tell another lie ever again, like, to the point where even if it's the truth that I know you don't want to hear, you're going to get it from me so that you can never say that I was dishonest,” he explained. 

“I went to one of the three [women I was seeing] and I said, 'Listen, you know I love you, but it's not just you … I would love for you to meet [the other women I'm dating] … In my perfect world, we would all coexist together. But I'm giving you the option,'” he said.

“You have to let her choose if she's okay with that. And if she is, okay, then it could be harmonious. If she's not, then you need to walk away,” NE-YO said.