John Cena Says Dating Dynamics Are Not 'Gender-Specific'

Photo credit: John Lamparski - Getty Images
Photo credit: John Lamparski - Getty Images

From Men's Health

We're still figuring out which old-fashioned dating rituals remain fit for purpose in our modern world, and which outdated practices need to be thrown away (not to mention a whole new range of dating phenomena, from ghosting to fizzing). For instance, does the tradition of women playing "hard to get" simply reinforce the idea that men shouldn't take "no" for an answer the first time around? The same goes for the advice to "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen": sure, some people are attracted to bad boys, but that kind of behavior lays the groundwork for incredibly toxic relationships.

When it comes to love, are men and women really that different?

John Cena doesn't think so. In fact, he seems to have it all figured out. The wrestler-turned-actor, who split from his longterm partner Nikki Bella in 2018, went public with his new girlfriend Shay Shariatzadeh on the red carpet at the recent premiere of his new movie, Playing With Fire — and had some words of relationship wisdom for Entertainment Tonight.

The actor insisted that he doesn't have "game" with women, simply saying: "If I have a connection with someone, I believe we're defined by our actions, and how you treat them is a reflection on how you will treat them in the future." His Playing With Fire co-star Keegan-Michael Key interjected that this simple, gentlemanly philosophy is by its very definition "game," adding: ""The ladies be straight loving that, though! Especially if it's real!"

But for Cena, real is the operative word: he's not about playing games. And he doesn't think it's just women who appreciate a more straightforward attitude regarding romance; he believes at heart, we're all looking for the same thing.

"I think when anyone was a connection with someone, and someone says like, 'Hey, there's something here, and by the way, I appreciate who you are, I appreciate who you want to be, I appreciate how you live your life,' I don't think that's gender-specific. I think that's something we all want to hear."

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