John Cena, star of Netflix's hit comedy Little Brother, has opened up about his decision not to have children with wife Shay Shariatzadeh. The former WWE champion, now a full-time actor, says he and his wife have been clear on the issue since early in their relationship.
John Cena's Age and Background
Cena was born in West Newbury, Massachusetts, in April 1977, making him 49 years old at the time of writing. He has four brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean. His grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien, and his cousin is computer scientist Natalie Enright Jerger. After graduating from college with a degree in exercise physiology and kinesiology, he pursued bodybuilding before entering professional wrestling.
John Cena's Height
According to his official WWE profile, Cena stands 6 feet 1 inch tall. A humorous TikTok clip from TalkSport showed a journalist struggling to interview Cena on the red carpet due to the height difference. The caption read: 'We tried to interview John Cena on the red carpet, but every time he held the mic, we couldn't see him.' In the clip, Cena said he would 'indulge' the journalist who wanted to show him a 'magic trick,' and when Cena held the microphone at his own height, the journalist disappeared from the frame.
Why John Cena and His Wife Won't Have Children
Cena has no children and has spoken openly about his child-free life. He and Shay Shariatzadeh, whom he met at a bar in 2019, agreed early on not to have kids. Cena told LADbible: 'I don't think I'm personally ready, nor will I ever be, to invest the time it needs to be a great parent because I want to live life for all it is.'
On the Club Shay Shay podcast, he reinforced his stance: 'I still have a lot to do. And I still want to do a lot. I have a wonderful partner I do it with. We've had open conversations about this. We share the same values.' He added: 'It's a tough subject to talk about because it immediately puts you in a category, and we can't help but judge. [...] I'd like to believe that I operate under the construct that everyone's okay living their life. I can tell you this is not a knee-jerk reaction. I've thought long and hard about this, even as my youngest age...like 15, 16, I remember thinking about it. My opinions only hit that grey area during emotionally difficult times. And I'm very happy with where I stand. I have a lot of joy and fulfilment in my life. And that's pretty much where I stand on it.'
John Cena's Career Transition
Cena competed in WWE for 24 years, becoming a record-breaking 17-time world champion, before moving fully into acting. He began acting in 2006 and is known for roles in comedies and action films, including Trainwreck, The Suicide Squad, and Peacemaker. His latest film, Little Brother, in which he stars opposite Eric André, is currently streaming on Netflix.
