John Cena doesn't want to have children, but the decision is not one that he made lightly. Appearing on the Club Shay Shay podcast, John, 47, opened up about his decision to not have kids. He explained that it's something he has "thought long and hard about" and recalled thinking about it as early as age 15. At 47, he remains confident in his decision, and it's something that he and his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, discussed very early on in their relationship.
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He explained that it's not exactly easy to talk about.
When John Cena said he doesn't want kids, Club Shay Shay host Shannon Sharpe questioned him: "You don't want a little John?"
But John doesn't — and that isn't always the easiest thing to admit to people. "That’s great, and that’s usually what everyone says," John said, but he has his reasons for not wanting kids.
Later in the conversation, he added that "it’s a tough subject to talk about because it immediately puts you in a category and we can’t help but judge." He chalked the judgement up to "human nature."
"I'd like to believe that I operate under the construct that everyone's OK living their life, and I can tell you this is not like a knee-jerk reaction," he said of his choice.
He doesn't think he's ready — and he never will be.
John explained that he has a lot of things he still wants to do with his life, and he doesn't think he's ready to be a parent.
"I have a certain curiosity about life and I also know the investment that it takes," he explained on the podcast. "And my biggest fear is, as someone who’s driven — many times stubborn and selfish — I try to approach the world with kindness and curiosity but I don’t think I’m personally ready, nor will I ever be, to invest the time it needs to be a great parent because I wanna live life for all it is.
"I still have a lot to do. And I still want to do a lot," he added.
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This is a conversation he had with his partner when they first started dating.
Luckily, he has a "wonderful partner" to share these life experiences with, and they've "had open conversations about this" exact topic.
John knows that he and Shay, whom he married in 2020, per People, "share the same values."
But John didn't wait until the relationship was serious to figure this out. He said he "opened with the uncomfortable conversations," asking questions about family life and children on their first and second dates.
He asked questions like, "Hey, where do you see family life and what is the definition of our family, what brings you joy, and is this a bucket you need to fill?"
Discussing these topics early on has been beneficial for the couple. "Those conversations have helped me personally, and her, forge a path together as a team," he explained.
John's confident in his decision.
When people share that they're not interested in having kids, they're often told that they might change their minds or regret their decisions one day. But John is confident about his decision.
"I’m very happy with where I stand," he said on the podcast. "I have a lot of joy and fulfillment in my life and that’s pretty much where I stand on that.”
He believes there's someone out there for everyone.
When it comes to the decision to have kids, people obviously have very different opinions — and John thinks that's beautiful.
“We can see that the way the world is, there's a lot of different people out there, and I think that's beautiful because that can lead to love and connection, which is good," he shared on the podcast.
To him, it serves as a reminder that there's someone out there for everyone.
"If you're out there and you feel alone, you're not. It may be hard to find someone who has the same values, but they're out there," he said. "Don't give up searching, because you're not as alone as you think you are."
