How John Cena approached ‘uncomfortable’ conversations with his wife about not wanting kids

John Cena was honest with his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, from the start about not wanting kids.

“I opened with a few uncomfortable conversations,” the professional wrestler said on “Club Shay Shay” Monday. “Those were first or second date questions with my now-wife.

“It’s great because we both got to lean into these uncomfortable moments, address this stuff and build a foundation,” the 47-year-old continued.

John Cena explained how he told wife Shay Shariatzadeh he doesn’t want children. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA The conversations were “uncomfortable,” he admitted on “Club Shay Shay” Monday. Club Shay Shay/YouTube

He went on to tell host Shannon Sharpe that “nothing is off the table” with himself and the 33-year-old engineer.

“Nothing is too uncomfortable to be unapproachable,” Cena added. “Starting off with a conversation about … what is the definition of our family … helped us forge a path together as a team.”

He urged listeners to remember that “there is somebody out there for everyone … who has the same values” — even though they may be “hard to find” at first.

The athlete broached the topic on their first dates. GC Images Now, “nothing is off the table” for the couple. WireImage

The athlete previously confessed to “Drew Barrymore Show” viewers in 2022 that he lacked the “passion” for fatherhood, and he doubled down on this during Monday’s interview.

“I don’t think I’m personally ready nor will I ever be to invest the time it needs to make a great parent. I want to live life,” he explained. “I still have a lot to do.”

Cena clarified that this was “not a knee-jerk reaction” and he has “thought long and hard about this” since he was a teenager.

Cena said he is “very happy” with their decision. WireImage The professional wrestler feels “fulfilled.” GC Images

He did, however, note that he’s only found himself “in that gray area during emotionally difficult times,” seemingly referencing his split from Nikki Bella.

After the reality stars got engaged in 2017, Cena offered to reverse his vasectomy so they could start a family, only for Bella to break things off in 2018 so he wouldn’t “regret” having kids.

Cena alluded to this on Monday, saying he has “learned from [his] past” after getting “knocked off the bike.”

He married Shariatzadeh in 2020. GC Images The duo made their romance public in 2019. WireImage

He gushed, “That’s OK. I love love. Time to get back up and go find it again. … I’m very happy with where I stand. I have a lot of joy and fulfillment in my life.”

Cena moved on with Shariatzadeh in 2019, and the couple tied the knot the following year in Florida — and again in Canada in 2021.

As for Bella, the 40-year-old is married to “Dancing With the Stars” pro Artem Chigvintsev, with whom she shares son Matteo.