Key Takeaways
- Cam Newton said he does not view marriage as necessary and believes commitment should feel like a choice, not an obligation.
- During an appearance on the “Talk Les Show,” he questioned traditional expectations around engagement rings and weddings.
- The former NFL quarterback said he would be comfortable never marrying as long as he has a life partner while continuing to raise his blended family.
When it comes to marriage, Cam Newton isn’t dancing around the topic. He’s saying exactly how he feels.
During a recent appearance on the “Talk Les Show,” the NFL star was asked a hypothetical: Would he ever want to be married to as many as five women? He shut it down instantly, replying, “No… It’s just emotions. I wanna be around who wanna be around me. So, if it’s five, if it’s six, if it’s one… I like volunteers. I don’t like hostages.”
The host followed up by asking whether he viewed marriage itself as a “hostage” situation. Newton clarified his stance: “I don’t think it to be anything. I like volunteers, not hostages. I want people around me who wanna be around me, and I want them around me.”
Newton, who has reportedly been dating actress Jasmin Brown since 2021, was asked what he would do if his partner wanted marriage. His response was just as direct. “You’re holding me hostage,” he emphasized. “I just want you to be happy, and if I'm the person that’s bringing you [happiness], you can have marriage with no commitment, and you don’t have to have marriage to have a commitment.”
Cam Newton says marriage isn’t necessary if he has a life partner
The 36-year-old also made it clear that he’s at peace with wherever his relationship path leads. He said it would be “fine” if he never got married, “as long as I got my life partner.” For him, longevity and partnership matter more than a ceremony or paperwork. “People always try to make that weird to understand.”
The conversation also turned to engagement rings and traditional expectations. Newton pushed back on the idea that a ring should define commitment, arguing that it can shift the focus away from the relationship itself. “I want you to listen and play this back because this is how most women sound, ‘I just want a ring, I just want a ring, I just want a ring.’ Well, why? ’Cause of marriage, ’cause of marriage, ’cause of marriage,” he added. “Find where the ring was in the Bible… I’m not going to be bullied into giving a gift because that’s what it sounds like. It sounds like you’re trying to corner a cat.”
The former Carolina Panthers quarterback’s perspective comes as he continues to build a large, blended family. He recently welcomed his ninth child and second with Brown in October 2025. The couple also shares a daughter born in March 2024. Beyond his current relationship, Newton co-parents seven older children, two of whom he adopted, with exes Kia Proctor and La Reina Shaw.
Whether fans agree with his take or not, Newton’s message remains consistent: for him, commitment is about choice, not obligation — ring or no ring.