LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 07: NFL player Cam Newton watches an undercard race before the running of the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 07, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Getty Images)
Cam Newton opened up for the first time about the cheating scandal that caused his family’s demise with Kia Proctor. The NFL free agent discussed his “embarrassing” past infidelity while appearing on “The Pivot” podcast last week. He called his decision to step outside of their long-term relationship a “humanistic mistake.”
He also explained why he chose not to hide his son, Caesar Lorenzo Newton.
“Honestly, it was a situation, a personal situation for me,” Newton said about the decision that caused him and Kia to break up. “My longtime girlfriend at the time [Proctor], you know, we had a family. And I made a mistake, I hurt her, and I jeopardized our family at that time, and I had a child outside of our relationship.”
The father of seven continued, taking accountability.
“And, coming from where I come from, being the person who I am, nobody would ever speak on it because we got a lot of people who are in high powers still make humanistic mistakes, and I can honestly say I made a humanistic mistake.”
In case you missed it, Newton fathered his seventh child in July of 2020 with a model name LaReina Shaw.
Cam confirmed the news with an Instagram photo celebrating Caesar’s first birthday. Newton and Proctor — who share four children — reportedly split sometime after he had his son with Shaw. Cam also assumes responsibility of Kia’s daughter and LaReina’s son from a previous relationships.
Newton and Shaw publicized their relationship in March 2021. When the pair ended their relationship is unclear. The athlete added that he stopped caring about what people thought of him, despite headlines circulating about this personal life.
“When Caesar Lorenzo Newton was born, I stopped caring because I can only be the best person that I can be,” he added. “And painting this picture of a person that, ‘Aw man, I gotta act this type of way, aw man, I gotta be this type of person.’ I got so many kids now that, if I’m not Superman to them, I’ll be damned if I allow the world to call me Superman.”
Cam also said the situation taught a valuable lesson in striving to be a better person for himself and the people who depend on him.
It’s just really putting certain things into perspective and, you know, it was embarrassing for me. And honestly, it is embarrassing to talk about but everybody don’t really wanna talk about real situations in life, and that molded me. I just stopped caring what people thought about it because I come home and I have due diligence to be the best father that I can possibly be… and sometimes you fall short. What are you supposed to do? Cry?… I would never have a hidden child out there. I would never not speak on the facts because there are a lot of people that can live vicariously through me and be better from it.”
