WWE star John Cena has entertained many children and brightened their days, leading many to think he’d make one of the world’s greatest dads, but he recently opened up about why he doesn’t want kids of his own.
Cena, who currently stars in HBO Max’s Peacemaker, explained his situation as far as relationships go and maintaining those.
That includes his marriage to Shay Shariatzadeh, who it appears won’t be having kids anytime soon, based on Cena’s comments.
Cena shares why having kids isn’t in his current plan
While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show, Drew mentioned that John Cena is the No. 1 granter of wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She asked him where he’s at now as far as having kids of his own because she thought he’d make a pretty great dad.
“First of all, thank you for the comment. I really enjoy my life. I have been riding a lightning bolt for some time now, and I’ve been given opportunities to do and see things that, man, I didn’t even dream of. And I had some pretty lofty dreams,” Cena told Barrymore.
Cena kickstarted a career in entertainment with his foray into the professional wrestling world with WWE. That started in the early 2000s, with Cena rising in popularity over the years and achieving numerous accolades, including multiple championships and many wishes granted.
He eventually took a long break from the wrestling ring with more focus on acting and other projects. His movies have included Trainwreck, Bumblebee, F9, Ferdinand, and Suicide Squad. However, last August, he returned to wrestling for WWE’s SummerSlam event in a high-profile match.
Based on Cena’s comments on The Drew Barrymore Show, it all takes a lot of work, and at the moment, being an actor may be what he’s most focused on, among other things.
“It’s hard work to balance the time I need to run myself correctly. It’s hard work to be the best partner and husband I can be to my loving wife,” Cena told Barrymore, adding, “It’s hard to keep connections with those in my life that I love, and it’s also hard to put in an honest day’s work.”
“I think just because you might be good at something is for me not a strong enough reason to do that. You have to have passion for it,” Cena said as far as raising children of his own.
Cena went on to explain that he loves the “joy” and the “connection” he gets with Make-A-Wish kids, who choose to “kick it” with him and see him wrestle as their wish.
“That is difficult water to tread, because I know everybody’s like, ‘Well, when?'” Cena said, pretending to look at a wristwatch. “I just know not now, you know?”
Cena’s previous relationship may have ended due to not wanting kids
John Cena has been married to Shay Shariatzade since October 2020, after the couple dated for a year. Shariatzade, a Canadian engineer, works in software development and is Cena’s second wife. He was married to Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 through 2012.
Cena also had a very public relationship with fellow WWE superstar, Nikki Bella which began in 2012. When things got real serious, it even included a memorable moment where the two worked as a tag team in a match for WrestleMania 33 in 2017. After they’d won, Cena popped the question to Nikki, and she said “Yes,” making headlines.
The couple wasn’t only featured within the WWE wrestling ring, they were also on reality TV series Total Bellas, which focused on Nikki and her sister Brie, their families, and relationships. Cena appeared in the first three seasons of the E! series from 2016 through 2018.
John Cena and Nikki Bella had planned to get married in May 2018. However, they broke off their engagement in the month before that. In a People report, an insider claimed part of the reason was Cena got cold feet. They also mentioned he “puts himself first” and is disinterested in having kids.
“He’s an incredibly dedicated, driven, ambitious guy. And for the longest time, he said he didn’t think he had room in his life for a spouse or kids. It seems like in the end that was still the truth,” the source said about Cena after the engagement with Nikki ended.
Since then, Cena has made room for a spouse, so it would seem having kids could be in their future, just not immediately.
Based on Cena’s comments to Drew Barrymore, it seems he doesn’t have a solid stance about never having kids; it’s just a matter of when he’s ready. For now, he’s continuing to enjoy the ride that comes with being married, having his own series on HBO Max, appearing in blockbuster films, and granting the wishes of many children requesting to meet him.
The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays. Peacemaker episodes are available on HBO Max.