Nick Cannon has never shied away from fatherhood – the multi-talented entertainer is the proud father of 12 children with six different women.
The star opened up in a new interview with Vulture about the perceived misconceptions surrounding his large, blended family. Nick shared that his 12 children were a "by-product of his eagerness to appease the women he was dating or his single friends who wanted kids."
The We Playin' Spades podcast host also spoke about fathering five of his children in a single year – 2022. "It was also a little bit of, like, Okay, God, how did I have five kids in one year? Probably careless activity," he admitted.
Nick Cannon's children
Nick welcomed his son, Legendary Love, with Bre Tiesi in July and his daughter, Onyx Ice Cole, with LaNisha Cole, in September. The star's son. Rise Messiah, whom he shares with Brittany Bell, was also born in September.
The rapper and Brittany also share their son, Golden Sagon, who was born in February 2017, and their daughter, Powerful Queen, who was born in December 2020.
Beautiful Zeppelin was welcomed by Nick and Abby De La Rosa in November 2022 while their son, Zen, sadly passed away from brain cancer at five months old in December 2021.
Nick shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey. The former couple tied the knot in 2008 before parting ways in 2016.
What has Nick said about fatherhood?
During the interview, Nick admitted that while he doesn’t currently have plans for more children, he wouldn’t rule it out. "The world is a crazy place. I never say 'never,'" he said.
Back in March, the star shared with People that he is partial to expanding his family "three years from now [or] five years from now." "There was a point in time where I was just like, 'Nah, I'm done,'" he confessed.
"And, then I was like, 'Who am I to say that?' It seemed like it was such an emphatic thing. I never imagined that I would have 12 kids. So, it's one of those things where I love children. I love my life, and if it could keep going in the direction that it's going, why not?"
Back in October 2021, Nick revealed that he was planning to abstain from sex for the foreseeable future. "I’m celibate right now," he said on Revolt’s Drink Champs.
"I’m going to see if I could make it to 2022. I’m trying to chill out. I’m kind of stepping away, getting focused, going within, getting my celibacy on. I have enough children, enough frolicking, I’m good right now."
Given that he welcomed five children in 2022 alone, Nick’s earlier pledge clearly didn’t last long.