Since he was just seven years old, Cameron Jerel Newton always dreamed of getting married, starting a family, and living in a house with a white picket fence. With his parents happily married as role models, he had a clear picture of the life he wanted. But as he grew up, things didn’t exactly go according to plan. As of today, Cam has eight children with three different women, and the relationships involved are far from simple.
Now, to understand how Cam’s life got so complicated, we need to go back to 2008. At that time, he was a student at the University of Florida, dating a girl named Natalan Carr. But things took a rough turn when Cam was arrested for stealing another student’s laptop. According to USA Today, Cam called it one of the lowest points in his life. Honestly, who could blame him? Can’t even focus on school without getting into trouble! Fortunately, the charges were dropped after he completed a pre-trial diversion program.
He never really planned on being the perfect student. Eventually, it was reported that he was nearly expelled for turning in another student’s paper with his own name on it. After getting caught, Cam submitted a second paper, but the instructor soon discovered that he had bought that one off the internet.
Really, Cam? Did you not think school involved actually studying and doing your own work? Instead of facing the consequences with the school’s conduct committee, Cam transferred to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, in 2009. Afterward, he made his way to Auburn University, where his time on the football team in 2010 was overshadowed by a major controversy. Allegations emerged claiming his father, Cecil Newton, had requested up to $180,000 in exchange for Cam playing at Auburn, which violated NCAA rules. However, after a thorough investigation, the NCAA found no major violations regarding Cam’s recruitment.
Despite the chaos, Cam’s football career took off. He earned several awards, including the 2010 Heisman Trophy. At the same time, people were buzzing about his personal life, especially curious about whether he was single. In December 2010, Black Sports Online received photos and information about a woman named Natalian, who was said to be his girlfriend. According to a source, they’d been together on and off since she was 16. “Natalian Carr is a beautiful, wealthy girl from Atlanta,” the source said. “Her father’s a big-time developer in the city, and she’s part of the social elite. She and Cam even got engaged six months ago.”
So, maybe the rumors weren’t so far off. In 2011, Cam became the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and signed a $22 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Naturally, being in the spotlight meant his life was under constant scrutiny. In an interview with NBC Sports, he admitted that his fame made it difficult to trust people. “I have a wall up most of the time,” he confessed. “I’m always protecting myself and thinking about my brand. It’s hard to let people in.”
His relationship with Natalian didn’t last. According to Hollywood Street King, Cam eventually left her for Shakia ‘Kia’ Proctor, a former stripper and single mom. “I’m in Love with a Stripper!” the headlines teased. In a YouTube video, Kia revealed that she lived in Maryland when they started dating, frequently traveling to Atlanta, where Cam had a home.
During a recent podcast episode, Cam opened up about his relationship with Kia, revealing that she never initially wanted to get married—and he was totally fine with that. He took on the role of a father to Kia’s daughter, Kira, right from the beginning. When Kia found out she was pregnant, she and Kira packed their bags and moved from Maryland to Cam’s home in Atlanta. They welcomed their son, Chosen Sebastian, in December 2015, and shortly after, Kia got pregnant again, this time with a baby girl.
While they were waiting for their daughter’s arrival, Baller Alert discovered some screenshots of Cam sliding into the DMs of a woman named Ramona Sky. Ramona later told the blog that she made it clear she was married, but Cam didn’t take the hint and kept messaging her. He even referred to her as “Killa” and claimed her husband was outdated. Seriously, Cam? Knocking up women without committing is what’s really outdated. Just leave her husband alone!
Despite his attempts to set up a lunch or dinner date in Atlanta, Ramona kept shutting him down. People were convinced those DMs were definitely from Cam because he’s the only one on social media who uses that bizarre font—like, what is that, hieroglyphics? How do you even find a font like that?
Meanwhile, Cam and Kia’s family continued to grow, and their daughter, Sovereign-Dior Cambella, arrived in 2017. After their fourth child, a son named Kidas Swain, was born in 2018, the Carolina Panthers shared the news on their official Instagram, and the comments went wild. Many people criticized Cam for continually getting Kia pregnant without making her his wife.
In a YouTube video, Kia shared, “I was never married, but I thought the relationship was heading towards marriage.” Honestly, after having all those kids, heading toward marriage looks more like pushing a stroller full of kids to the courthouse!
In a recent episode of his podcast, Cam opened up about how his high-profile career as an NFL quarterback kept him from getting married. He admitted, “The truth is, while we were raising our kids together, I couldn’t be the husband I needed to be. I just wasn’t ready for that.” But it makes you wonder—wasn’t the clock ticking for Kia? If that’s the case, then why not use protection? Even if you weren’t the star student in high school biology, you should have picked up a few things!
Cam also shared that while he was in a relationship with Kia, he ended up on “Temptation Island.” As a young football player, he felt like he could never say ‘no’ to women. So, while Kia and their children were at home, he was out there living a different life. As he got deeper into his own selfish ways, their relationship started to fall apart. He noted that Kia grew as a person, and her expectations changed. She began to assert herself, telling him, “I’m not just a baby mama.” As she started pushing him to propose, he found himself thinking, “I don’t know if this is what I really want.” That’s when he began to mentally check out.
Do I really need to spell out the lesson here, or is it clear? You should never have to beg a man to marry you. He should be excited to put a ring on it—no vague promises or “let’s wait until I finish my degree.” If he can create a baby, he can definitely show up with a ring! It doesn’t matter if it’s a candy ring or something from Walmart; just find something to slip on my finger and let’s head to the courthouse. We can always upgrade the ring later!
In 2019, they welcomed their new child, Kashmir Saint, which brought Cam’s total to five kids, including Kia’s daughter from a previous relationship. But that same year, just after Kia gave birth to their fifth child, Cam was caught sliding into the DMs of a woman named Promis B. May. In those messages, he reportedly denied his relationship with Kia. By then, it seemed like Kia had reached her breaking point, and Cam was ready to move on too.
Cam started seeing a woman named Lorena Shaw, who already had a child, and before long, Lorena was pregnant. Seriously, what kind of reckless decisions are happening here? He ended up having a baby outside of our relationship, and I just can’t accept that. I thought what we had was something special, so this really hurts. Kia made it clear that she chose herself and her kids over the chaos he was about to bring into her life. They broke up in 2019, and she moved out of Cam’s place in Atlanta almost immediately. Not long after, he was ordered to pay her $7,500 a month in child support.
On an episode of “The Pivot” podcast, Cam admitted that he broke Kia’s heart and wrecked their relationship. Later, during his own podcast, he reflected on how Kia was the right person for him, but they just met at the wrong time. From the outside, it looked like they were living a married life, but inside, he was struggling. Kia was ready to take their relationship to the next level, but he was still dealing with his temptations and ultimately got caught up.
Lorena gave birth to their son, Caesar Lorenzo, in July 2019. Since Cam accepted Lorena’s eldest son as his own, he became a dad to seven kids. He and Lorena dated for a bit but eventually went their separate ways.
Then, in 2021, there were rumors about Cam and Kia getting back together after they were spotted at an event in Atlanta. He quickly set the record straight on Instagram Live, saying, “We’re not together. Just because I have kids with her doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship.” He added, “I know I’m a flawed individual, but the relationship I’m in now is perfect for me.” He didn’t share who his new partner is, but we’re hoping things are going smoothly for them!
In an appearance on the “Undefined” podcast, Cam mentioned that he has eight children and dreams of building a mansion where they can all live under one roof. For now, he’s just taking it day by day as a father of eight. Honestly, wouldn’t it have been easier to just marry Kia and skip all this drama? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!