Jame Barrett is a 30-year-old independent recording artist based in Los Angeles. Right now he’s living a full life, as colorful as having five wives and eleven children in his residence sounds. Barrett’s collaborators—Cameron, Jessica, Reta, Gabby, and Diana—all live together in a communal house. Their home positively vibrates with the energy, producing a bright, lively atmosphere for their bustling, multigenerational household.
Barrett’s path to polyamory comes out of an earlier life of cheating. No longer a serial cheater, he adopted an open relationship model, which allowed him to fulfill his craving for both variety and connection. He says it’s this fast-paced lifestyle that helps him avoid succumbing to his “wandering eye.” “I was always a cheater in my monogamous relationships,” Barrett admits. Today, he lives his values through loving several partners deeply.
Barrett with Cameron and Jessica Barrett has spent the past 13 years with Cameron and Jessica, making them the longest-standing trio in Barrett’s polyamorous family. Diana, our latest addition, has been with the family for four years. In Barrett’s household, 20 people all live under one roof. His ferocious loyalty to his wives—imperiled as they are by his blunders—provides him with deep emotional resources and unwavering help.
So much better, in fact, that Barrett believes the way polyamory has helped him has made him a better parent and improved his subsequent relationships. As far as the impact on his work, he thinks being openly polyamorous has freed him to be more authentic and true to himself. “I felt like I wasn’t being true and honest with myself, so I felt more limited and internally conflicted,” he reflects on his previous lifestyle.
Barrett’s house is a whirlwind of activity, with kids ranging in age from 1 to 12. Every child brings their own special twist to this whirling dervish of a home. An immigrant vision propelled by large families holds great potential. He finds that working with different partners enables him to reach more family members faster. His eleven kids are Aiden, Abel, Jessie, Ayaan, Jett, JD, Sophia, Octavia, Bobby, Cleo, and newborn Summer.
Monogamy isn’t the only way to love,” Barrett says as he pushes for polygamous relationships to be normalized and legalized. He distinguishes his family’s arrangement from what he describes as “weird, religious, culty stuff,” urging society to recognize the legitimacy of consensual adult relationships.
Barrett concludes with this beautiful reflection on the quality of love he is capable of providing to his wives. “But at the end of the day, I love them all deeply, and it has elevated me as a man,” he states. It’s through these experiences that he wants to inspire people to think about different types of love and commitment beyond the norm.
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