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The latest development in the divorce of a “Voice” cast member amid cheating allegations is that Ne-Yo has responded to his wife Crystal Renay Smith’s divorce filing and requested joint physical custody, according to court documents obtained by Heavy.
Ne-Yo Agrees Their Marriage Is ‘Irretrievably Broken’
Ne-Yo, a frequent performer and season 2 mentor for “The Voice,” has filed his own legal response to Smith’s divorce petition, Fulton County, Georgia, court documents obtained by Heavy reveal. Radar Online was the first to report on the new filing. Ne-Yo agreed in his response that their marriage is “irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation,” but he objects to other requests she made in her filing, the court records show.
In her August 1 divorce filing, which was first reported by Page Six, Smith asked for permanent alimony and primary custody of their children — son Shaffer, 6, son Roman, 4, and daughter Isabella, 1. Ne-Yo has objected to those requests, asking in his filing that they share joint legal and physical custody of the children. He agreed to pay child support for them but did not agree to pay spousal support, court documents obtained by Heavy show.
Smith and Ne-Yo, whose real name is Shaffer Smith, have been married since February 20, 2016. They separated on July 20, 2022, court documents show. They have three children together.
In his response, Ne-Yo asserts that Smith has “the considerable ability to procure stable and consistent employment at this current time and following the dissolution of the marriage.”
Ne-Yo also wants exclusive access to their Georgia home, saying that he has “been solely responsible for the mortgage and maintenance of this property since the date of purchase,” the court documents reveal.
The singer’s lawyers filed a motion on September 7, 2022, asking that Smith be found in contempt of court for violating a court order about not harassing each other. He says that Smith’s “reckless and distasteful acts” of speaking out publicly about their separation have injured him financially.
“To date, [Ne-Yo] has loss approximately $400,000 in wages associated with public appearances, professional bookings, and promotional efforts related to the promotion of his new musical project,” the motion obtained by Heavy reads.
“The Respondent is a professional entertainer and his career is dependant upon his public image. His earnings and earning capacities are directly affected by the manner by which his image is received and considered by the general public,” his lawyers wrote. “The Petitioner is fully knowledgeable of the significance of the Respondent’s public persona and the direct correlation to his earnings and earning capacity. The Petitioner has benefited from being associated with the Respondent’s public image and persona alike.”
The “Voice” mentor asked the court to find Smith in contempt and bar her from speaking about him on social media. An emergency hearing was scheduled for September 8, 2022, according to court records.
Smith’s Initial Filing Claims That Ne-Yo Was Unfaithful & Fathered a Child With Another Woman
In late July, Smith wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post that Ne-Yo cheated on her with sex workers. She later filed for divorce and in the filing claimed that he fathered a minor child with another woman.
Ne-Yo has yet to speak out about the accusations; instead, he posted a message to Twitter asking for privacy at this time.
Smith has been largely silent since her initial Instagram post, but she was approached by TMZ at the airport and said there is no chance the two of them are getting back together.
“There are no chances [we are reconciling],” said Smith, adding, “God is good … we’re moving on to better lives.”
When asked if Ne-Yo’s behavior got to the point where there’s no coming back, Smith responded, “Certain things can’t be forgiven, but God will forgive and one day so will I.”
She added, “The Christian in me has to [forgive him] one day, but I’m OK.”
When asked if she will start dating again, she said, “Only God knows.”
“The Voice” will return for its 22nd season on Monday, September 19, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on NBC.
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