Nick Cannon Opens Up: Mariah Carey Divorce Triggers Path to Fathering 12 Kids
Nick Cannon's Blunt Confession: How His Painful Divorce from Mariah Carey Led Him to Father 12 Children!
In a shocking and intimate interview, Nick Cannon opened up about the root cause of his unconventional family dynamics - a painful divorce from his ex-wife Mariah Carey. The Masked Singer host, now 44, revealed that his decision to father 12 children was a direct result of unresolved emotional pain and a lack of self-reflection after their six-year marriage ended in 2016.
Appearing on Monday's episode of The Breakfast Club, Cannon candidly discussed how he fell into the pattern of recklessly pursuing parenthood without properly healing from the trauma of his breakup. "I just didn't do the work," he admitted. "So then I looked up, 12 kids later, and I'm like, 'Wow, I could have done things differently'."
When asked directly if his parenting decisions were linked to unresolved trauma, Cannon candidly replied, "Yeah, I'm learning that now. It wasn't like I was acting out; it was more about being careless, being frivolous with my process because I had the money, access to whoever and however I wanted to move."
The actor acknowledged that he wasn't mature enough at the time to plan his family intentionally, saying, "Life happens as well, so it wasn't like, 'Oh, I'm going to go have 12 kids.' It was more about living life, having fun, and whatever happens, happens. I can handle it."
Now in therapy, Cannon has taken the time to reflect on his actions and work through his emotions. "Being almost 45 now, I could sit back and like, yeah, if I would have thought the process through a little more and taken time to actually do the inner work. Things might have been a little different in certain scenarios."
Despite the chaos that has come with raising such a large family, Cannon insists he doesn't regret fatherhood: "I've always said this - every child I had was made out of love, and they were strong relationships." However, he admits that his upbringing played a significant role in shaping his views on monogamy. "Monogamy has never really been my thing," he revealed. "So, I'm pretty sure that plays a part of it as well, too."
The former Nickelodeon star's family dynamics have been under scrutiny for years, with some critics labeling him irresponsible and self-centered. However, Cannon maintains that his choices were made out of love, even if they didn't make sense to others.
Let's take a look at the impressive - or intimidating, depending on how you see it - list of children Nick Cannon has fathered:
- With Mariah Carey: twins Moroccan and Monroe (born 2011)
- With Brittany Bell: sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah, daughter Powerful Queen
- With Abby De La Rosa: twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin
- With Bre Tiesi: son Legendary Love
- With LaNisha Cole: daughter Onyx Ice
- With Alyssa Scott: son Zen (who sadly passed away at five months old in December 2021 from brain cancer) and daughter Halo Marie
In a previous interview on The Really Good Podcast, Cannon joked about being "done having kids" after struggling to remember all 12 names. He also quipped that his large family was due to what he called a "king complex." When asked if he had any regrets about his choices, Cannon confessed, "My biggest guilt is not getting to spend enough time with all my children... One, 'cause I'm constantly working, and two, because I'm just spread thin."
It's clear that Nick Cannon has taken the first steps towards healing and growth. Will we see a more intentional and emotionally intelligent approach to family planning from this devoted father in the future? Only time will tell!
