Cam Newton was candid while reflecting on his “humanistic mistake” when he fathered a child outside his previous relationship with ex-girlfriend Shakia Proctor.

The NFL free agent quarterback discussed his “embarrassing” past cheating scandal during an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast last week, and explained why he chose not to hide his son, Caesar Lorenzo Newton.

“Honestly, it was a situation, a personal situation for me,” Newton said about what he felt had changed him as a person. “My longtime girlfriend at the time [Proctor], you know, we had a family. And I made a mistake, I hurt her, and I jeopardized our family at that time and I had a child outside of our relationship.”

Newton confirmed he fathered a seventh child in July of 2020, with an Instagram photo celebrating Caesar’s first birthday. His post came after multiple reports claimed he had welcomed a son with model, La Reina Shaw. As a result, Newton and Proctor — who share four children together — reportedly split.

“And, coming from where I come from, being the person who I am, nobody would ever speak on it because we got a lot of people who are in high powers still make humanistic mistakes, and I can honestly say I made a humanistic mistake,” Newton said about stepping out on his relationship with Proctor.

Newton and Shaw went public with their relationship in March 2021. It’s unclear when the pair ended their relationship.

“When Caesar Lorenzo Newton was born, I then stopped caring because I can only be the best person that I can be,” he added. “And painting this picture of a person that, ‘Aw man, I gotta act this type of way, aw man, I gotta be this type of person.’ I got so many kids now that, if I’m not Superman to them, I’ll be damned if I allow the world to call me Superman.

“It’s just really putting certain things into perspective and, you know, it was embarrassing for me. And honestly, it is embarrassing to talk about but everybody don’t really wanna talk about real situations in life, and that molded me. I just stopped caring what people thought about it because I come home and I have a due diligence to be the best father that I can possibly be… and sometimes you fall short. What are you supposed to do? Cry?… I would never have a hidden child out there. I would never not speak on the facts because there are a lot of people that can live vicariously through me and be better from it.”

In February, Newton told Brittany Renner in his “Funky Friday” YouTube series that he didn’t marry Proctor because he couldn’t be the best version of himself when they were together.

“That’s a great question… The thing is that person that I was while we were having children together, I couldn’t be the best husband. I wasn’t prepared to be a husband then,” Newton told Renner, an Instagram fitness model and influencer, who pressed him about not giving Proctor a ring.

The former NFL MVP was dating Jasmin Brown in March, according to SideAction.com, after Newton stepped out with the actress at Milan Fashion Week.