CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Over the weekend, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton shared a birthday message for a girl who changed his life five years ago.

Meet Shakira, whom Newton considers his stepdaughter.

Newton and long-time girlfriend Kia Proctor have two children, a 1-year-old son named Chosen Sebastian and a newborn daughter whose name hasn't been revealed.

But his Instagram message posted on Shakira's birthday Friday reveals that the 2015 NFL MVP was a father figure long before they were born. Shakira is Proctor's daughter from a previous relationship.

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