Ali Condon
John Cena has opened up about why he never saw himself as a dad and has no interest in having children.
The WWE star turned actor has always been a big hit with kids, and even holds a Guinness World Record for the most-requested celebrity by kids at the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
But, as far as Cena is concerned, being good with kids isn't enough reason to have any of his own.
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Cena's decision not to have children has gotten him some unwarranted backlash over the years, but the Peacemaker star has always stood by the unconventional choice.
Speaking about his decision not to be a dad on The Drew Barrymore Show in January 2022, Cena explained: "I really enjoy my life. I have been riding a lightening bolt for quite some time now.
"I have been given opportunities to do some things that man, I didn’t even dream of, and I had some pretty lofty dreams."
But to get to where he is now, Cena had to work crazy hard, so it's hard to imagine where fatherhood would slot into his life.
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"It's hard work. It's hard work to balance the time. I need to run myself correctly," he said.
"It's hard work to be the best partner and husband I can be to my loving wife. It's hard to keep connections with those in my life who I love, and it's also hard to put in an honest day's work.
"This is just my perspective, again, totally not qualified, but I think just because you might be good at something is not a strong enough reason to do that.
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"You have to have passion for it. You have to have a fuel for it. It's like saying to somebody, 'Hey, you're pretty good with your hands, you'd be a great carpenter.' But if I want to be an actor, I'll be an actor. "
Cena has been married to Shay Shariazadeh since 2020.
Before the two tied the knot, though, Cena was in a high profile relationship with fellow WWE star Nikki Bella for six years.
The two eventually parted ways when Bella opened up about her desire to have children with Cena - something that he had long decided he didn't want.
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Speaking about her decision to end things with Cena, Bella told the Better Together with Maria Menounos podcast that she didn't want him to 'regret' having kids with her.
"Even in the end when he was willing to give me kids, I could just tell it’s not what we wanted," she recalled.
"And that’s really, like, you know, what pushed me in the end, was like, if I’m going to force someone to be a father."
In 2020, just a few months before Cena tied the knot with Shariazadeh, Bella welcomed her first child with fiancé Artem Chigvintsev.
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That being said, Cena is absolutely flattered that people think he'd make a good father and can see the great bond he forms with his younger audiences.
"Just to say to somebody, 'you have a great interaction with young people,' that's flattering," he told Barrymore.
"And the reason I love Make-a-Wish so much is because those are those family's wishes.
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"You can do anything you want, and Make-a-Wish's list is enormous, they literally will do anything you want.
"'I want to kick it with John Cena and go see him wrestle.' That is the coolest thing I have ever heard in my life."