Nick Cannon Sets the Record Straight on Mariah Carey Relationship

Sep 23, 2026 - 22:20

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Nick Cannon Sets the Record Straight on Mariah Carey Relationship

Nick Cannon Pokes Fun at Having to Pay Child Support for His 12 Kids

Drum roll, please—Nick Cannon is setting the record straight on his relationship with Mariah Carey.

Nearly 10 years after the Drumline star and Carey—who share 15-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe—finalized their divorce, Cannon revealed his dynamic with the Grammy winner is better than ever.

“We talk almost every day or every other day, specifically just about the kids,” Cannon told Us Weekly in an interview published Sept. 23. “We were laughing about [reports we’re not close]. I was like, ‘Who is telling people that?’”

And while the pair have a healthy coparenting dynamic, fans will have to wait until the Wild ‘n Out star’s forthcoming Netflix docuseries comes out this winter to get more insight on whether they’d ever rekindle their romance.

“On the flip side, I’ve heard we’re getting back together,” he said. “I’ll deliver the truth with the doc. I’m always open [to that].”

After all, the 45-year-old emphasized that his and Carey’s split “wasn’t messy,” and that they "were able to move on and be the best parents we can.”

And after almost a decade of coparenting, he still sings the “All I Want for Christmas Is You” hitmaker’s praises.

“I always say Mariah Carey was my greatest friend and my greatest teacher,” he continued. “What I learned most from her is how to hold on to what’s true and create your own spaces, without letting outside energy infiltrate.”

“And you know all that she’s been through in her life,” he added. “I think that’s what keeps her going—her faith and her ability to block out negative energy. You feel like you know her, but she keeps all the things that are meaningful to her to herself.”

Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images For Nickelodeon

But while these days, Cannon—who is dad to ten children with five different women—engages in consensual nonmognaomy in his love life, he made it clear that wasn’t the case during his and Carey’s marriage.

“I was married for seven-plus years, and my wife was the only person I was monogamous with because I didn’t want to f--k it up,” he admitted. “I was like, 'This is Mariah Carey. I’m not messing this up!’”

“But I have an abundance of love, and I want to be the best provider and partner,” he added. “I have the means to—not even speaking financially—be a helpmate to people and I think that’s the root of it.”

Keep reading for a closer look at Cannon’s family tree…

Instagram/Mariah Carey

Children No. 1 and 2: Moroccan Cannon and Monroe Cannon

Mariah Carey gave birth to her and Nick's twins on April 30, 2011. The two announced their split in 2015 after six years of marriage and finalized their divorce a year later.

Instagram/Brittany Bell

Child No. 3: Golden "Sagon" Cannon

Beauty queen Brittany Bell gave birth to her and Nick's first child together, a boy, on Feb. 21, 2017.

Instagram/Brittany Bell

Child No. 4: Powerful Queen Cannon

Brittany and Nick welcomed their second baby together, a girl, in December 2020.

Instagram / Abby De La Rosa

Child No. 5 and 6: Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon

DJ Abby De La Rosa gave birth to her and Nick's twin boys on June 14, 2021.

Nick Cannon

Child No. 7: Zen Cannon

Model Alyssa Scott welcomed a baby boy with Nick on June 23, 2021.

However, just five months after the arrival of their son, Nick shared the devastating news that Zen had passed away from brain cancer. "Alyssa was just the strongest woman I have ever seen," he said on the Dec. 7 episode of The Nick Cannon Show. "Never had an argument, never was angry. She was emotional when she needed to be but was always the best mom and continues to be the best mom possible. So I've got to say thank you to my entire family but specifically to Alyssa."

"You never know what someone is going through," he added. "Hug your family. Kiss somebody. Tell them you love them."

Instagram/Bre Tiesi

Child No. 8: Legendary Love Cannon

Model Bre Tiesi welcomed her first child with Nick on June 28, 2022. The baby boy weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth.

"I did it. An all natural unmedicated home birth," Bre shared in a July 2022 Instagram post. "This was the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience. I can't thank my team enough for delivering my son safely."

Instagram/LaNisha Cole

Child No. 9: Onyx Ice Cole Cannon

Nick and model LaNisha Cole welcomed a daughter on Sept. 14, 2022.

Instagram/Brittany Bell

Child No. 10: Rise Messiah Cannon

Brittany gave birth to her third child with Nick on Sept. 23, 2022.

Instagram/Abby De La Rosa

Child No. 11: Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon

Abby gave birth to a baby girl, her third child with Nick, in November 2022.

Instagram/Alyssa Scott

Child No. 12: Halo Marie Cannon

Alyssa gave birth to her and Nick's daughter on Dec. 14, 2022.

The model shared an Instagram video showing the Wild 'n Out star helping to deliver their baby. "Our lives are forever changed," she wrote. "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

She continued, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying 'it's a girl' and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face. I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

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