It looks like things might be over and really done with this time for Crystal Renay and crooner Ne-Yo following six years of marriage.
According to court papers she filed earlier this week in Atlanta, which were obtained by TMZ, she says their union is “irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation.”
This comes as Renay publicly accused her husband of cheating on Instagram, and alleged he did so unprotected. She elaborated in the papers on what she meant by that, as she’s claiming that he fathered a child outside of their marriage with another woman. The pair share three children of their own, including a daughter born in June 2021. Renay said they’ve been separated since July 22. All of this follows the two renewing their vows in front of friends and family in Las Vegas back in April following a brief split in 2020.
As mentioned, the two share three children together, and Ne-Yo has two from his previous relationship with ex-fiancée Monyetta Shaw.
We’re sad to hear that things may be ending in this way for the Smiths. This isn’t the first time she’s filed for divorce from Ne-Yo, doing so in 2020 only to withdraw her petition. But based on how she’s spoken publicly of his alleged discretions, it sounds like she’s going to see this divorce through. Check out the timeline of their relationship below, as well as photos of them during happier times.
01
They Meet
It all started in 2014. After seeing Crystal Renay Williams doing her IG modeling thing, the crooner was intrigued. The two met after he had a casting director reach out to her for a project he was working on. “I was happily single at the time,” Ne-Yo told Tamron Hall in 2021. He hadn’t intended to get in a new relationship, seeking out me-time, but the two hit it off. They were not only seen on the party scene, but Ne-Yo, fresh from a publicized breakup with Monyetta Shaw, went super public with Williams in his music video for the single ‘Money Can’t Buy.’
02
“She Has Much Promise”
In an interview with Hot 97 in 2014, Ne-Yo said that he didn’t want to be private about his new relationship and shared optimism about what the future could hold with his lady, then going by Crystal Renay. “We are in a good place,” he said at the time. “She has much promise. Yes, much promise. Quality.”
03
They Deal With Public Scrutiny
In 2015, Renay opened up about dealing with criticism from the public, who believed that she was behind Ne-Yo breaking off his engagement with Monyetta Shaw. “[The toughest part of our relationship] are the misconceptions and the [outside] negativity that surrounds it,” she told The JasmineBrand, adding that she liked his ex, despite everything being said. “In the beginning it was hurtful. I really like her. She’s funny. She’s a fun person to be around and I hate the misconception that people want us to not like each other because it’s not the case.”
04
They Marry — and Start a Family
By fall 2015, the crooner announced that he and Crystal Renay were engaged. An added bonus, they were expecting their first child together. The couple married in February 2016 and welcomed their son Shaffer Jr. a month later.
05
The Model Co-Parents
By 2016, all parties seemed to be in a great place — Ne-Yo, wife Crystal Renay and ex Monyetta Shaw. They were making great strides to peacefully co-parent he and Shaw’s kids, Madilyn and Mason. All three came together to celebrate both kiddos’ birthdays. “The party was a success because our kids had a great time,” Ne-Yo told Us Weekly at the time. “That’s what it’s all about. No beef, no bad blood, no shade … we are grown. This is what it looks like when grown-ups act like adults.”
06
Setting the Record Straight
In 2018, the couple welcomed their second child together, son Roman. During that same year, they continued to show a united front with Monyetta Shaw and spoke openly about co-parenting. They clarified the timing of their relationship, with help from Shaw, who said a year after she and Ne-Yo broke up, they were still living together, even though they were no longer in a relationship. She confirmed that her engagement didn’t end because of Renay. “It hurt because I have morals, I have standards and I would never do anything like that,” Renay said. “So it hurt but at the same time you fight for love and do what you have to do and then this became family. It doesn’t matter the disrespect I get from the world, as long as my family’s happy.”
07
They Call It Quits
By 2020, the two hit a major bump in the road and called it quits after rumors that they were breaking up began to surface. She filed then, too. “Long story short, she’s got demons just like everybody else, just like me,” he said when confirming the news. “We realize that our demons don’t mesh and until both of us get a hold of our personal demons, it’s gonna be just difficult for us to stay married.”
08
They Reconcile
Four months after breaking the news of their split, Ne-Yo revealed they had worked things out, with Renay withdrawing her divorce petition. They had COVID to thank for that, saying quarantining together allowed them to reconcile and properly “lock back in” to make their marriage work. A year later, they welcomed their third child together, daughter Isabella.
09
It’s Over…Again
Despite the couple seeming stronger than ever, remarrying in an all-red ceremony in Las Vegas in April 2022, at the end of July, she accused him of cheating. “8 years. 8 years of lies and deception,” Renay wrote in her post about their overall relationship. “8 years of unknowingly sharing my life and my husband with numerous women who sell their bodies to him unprotected…every last one of them!”
She added, “To say I’m heartbroken and disgusted is a[n] understatement. To ask me to stay and accept it is absolutely insane. The mentality of a narcissist. I will no longer lie to the public or pretend that this is something it isn’t. I choose me, I choose my happiness and health and my respect.” While Ne-Yo responded to her comments by asking for privacy, he was seen hanging out in the club with happy female fans soon after. She has followed up her message by filing for divorce.
