Two years ago, Cam Newton opened a cigar lounge in his hometown of Atlanta, GA, called Fellaship. Now that business casual establishment serves as the backdrop of a new digital conversation series hosted by the Heisman Trophy-winning athlete which airs on BET.com.
Sip N’ Smoke features Newton chatting with notable Atlanta celebrities such as Da Brat and her fiancé Jesseca Dupart, 2 Chainz, and David Banner, as well as other household names like Teyana Taylor and Steve Harvey. In each sit-down, the pro football player has candid conversations with his guests about life, love, and legacy — not only in terms of their careers but also as parents.
During his chat with Harvey, both spoke openly about being step-fathers and when we asked Newton, who has an additional five biological children of his own, about being a step-parent, he shared, “I just always allow them to know that I’m here. I never want no type of disconnect. Being biological and having the heart of someone, there’s no difference.”
In one episode of the first season, Newton shouts out his daughter who came on set with him that day, which is something he loves to have his kids do, he said. “For them to kind of witness me working, that’s nice. They always hear, ‘Dad, he’s gone for a couple of days. What is he doing?’…For her to see it, it’s like, ‘Oh, this is what you call work.'” The 31-year-old adds, “You have to really allow them to see that when daddy’s not here. This is what he’s doing. “
As a man who’s busy with many businesses outside of his commitment to football, Newton said he loves taking his kids to school and spending as much time with them as possible.
“I just want them to know love,” he shared. “I just want them to know that feeling because I had it. I grew up in a three-parent household — my mom, my dad, and my grandma — and they showed me that on a regular basis and that’s just what I want to provide to my children.”
Check out our full interview with Cam Newton in the video above.