“I don’t want them,” John said. “I have a certain curiosity about life, and I also know the investment that it takes.”

“And my biggest fear is, as someone who’s driven—mmany times stubborn and selfish—II try to approach the world with kindness and curiosity, but 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.”

“And 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.”

John has been married to Shay Shariatzadeh since 2020, and they had conversations about not having children early in their relationship, a topic that has impacted his past relationships.

John’s previous six-year relationship with fellow WWE star Nikki Bella ended after she opened up about her desire for children and John’s almost reluctant compromise. On the Better Together with Maria Menounos podcast, Nikki said she didn’t want him to “regret” having children with her. “Even in the end, when he was willing to give me kids, I could just tell it’s not what we wanted. And that’s really, like, you know, what pushed me in the end was, If I’m going to force someone to be a father.”