Ne-Yo is no stranger to love, which is why he he’s doing things his own way as he dives deeper into his experience in polyamorous relationships.
In a candid interview with Real 92.3, the R&B superstar opened up about his polyamorous lifestyle, revealing that his song “Story Time” was inspired by a real-life moment that set him on this unconventional path. However, Ne-Yo insists this isn’t just about adding more partners—there are rules in place to keep everything running smoothly.
Ne-Yo admitted the song, which appeared on his Non-Fiction album in 2015, was born from a situation where he got caught cheating due to his attempt at introducing the idea of bringing another woman into his relationship.
“I introduced it and she was like, ‘Well maybe,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh cool. So I’ll just call her now,’” he recalled. “And she was like, ‘Call her?’ I’m like, ‘Oh… damn, oops.’”
“I do partnership, not ownership.”
Ne-Yo shares the rules all 4 of his girlfriends must follow and breaks down how his polyamorous relationship affects his 7 children.
(🎥 REAL 92.3 LA/YouTube) pic.twitter.com/vfEr7hN47f
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) March 7, 2025
That moment made it clear that any additions to the relationship had to be mutual.
“She would be down with someone we met together, not someone I was meeting behind her back,” he explained. But when the tables turned and his partner suggested adding another man, Ne-Yo had a different reaction.
“She said, ‘You so gung-ho about another girl, what if I said I wanted another dude?’ I’m like, ‘hell no,’” he trailed off, implying his enthusiasm had its limits.
When it comes down to it, for Ne-Yo, polyamory isn’t a free-for-all—it’s a carefully structured dynamic with clear expectations.
“I do partnership, not ownership,” he said. “You’re not my property. I don’t even want to own you.”
Though he doesn’t require exclusivity from his partners, there’s a catch.
“If you offer it and I accept, there are rules to follow,” he said. “Nothing is above a conversation as long as we’re being honest, but if you offer exclusivity—meaning just me and only me—and I say, ‘Are you sure? You understand that your exclusivity to me doesn’t mean exclusivity to you?’ That’s a decision you’re making on your own.”
He continued, making it clear from the start that his relationships operate on his terms.
“If you make that decision and I say, ‘Cool cool, well, here’s the rules I need you to follow,’ and if you’re cool with that, then we rock,” he said. “If you’re not, we don’t. No love lost. You go your way, I go mine, and it’s all good.”
While his lifestyle has sparked plenty of public debate, Ne-Yo revealed that support often comes in private.
“You know what’s crazy?” he said in part. “It’s one of those situations where men reach out in secret. And go ‘Yeah honey, I would never,’ and be like, ‘Congratulations,’ but just between me and you, ‘Bro, you living life.’”
Although, Ne-Yo is quick to shut down the misconception that polyamory is all about sex.
“People get caught up on the sexual element of it,” he said. “If the only reason you’re doing it is for the sexual part of it, you’re bound to fail. That’s an orgy. That’s swinging. That’s something totally different. This is community. This is a team. We are partners in this situation.”
