Reality television personality Angela Simmons said former NFL quarterback Cam Newton gave her the “ick” on their only date more than a decade ago because he spent the evening laughing at his own jokes and patting himself on the back.
Simmons, 35, recounted the 2011 blind date during an appearance Thursday on Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast, directly addressing long-standing rumors that the two had dated. Newton, 36, prompted the conversation to clear the air.
“We went out on a date,” Simmons told Newton on the podcast. She clarified they never dated beyond that single outing, which mutual acquaintance Corey Gamble helped arrange in New York.
According to Simmons, the dinner went south quickly. Newton cracked jokes throughout the meal and reacted with loud laughter — at his own punchlines — while physically patting himself on the back, she said. The behavior turned her off immediately.
“You were patting yourself on the back and laughing,” Simmons recalled, drawing laughter from Newton during the retelling. She said she felt no romantic spark and was ready for the night to end before the appetizers arrived.
The turning point came later, Simmons added: On the cab ride back from the restaurant, Newton suddenly showed interest. By then, it was too late.
“I only started getting interested in you on the ride back,” she said.
Newton took the candid feedback in stride, with the pair laughing about the awkward evening. Simmons emphasized they have remained cordial and have only seen each other in passing since.
The episode quickly went viral on social media, with clips amassing hundreds of thousands of views as fans reacted to Simmons’ unfiltered honesty. Neither Simmons nor Newton has publicly commented further on the matter outside the podcast.
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