Nick Cannon, father of 12, has no immediate plans to have any more children.
Despite others attempting to encourage him to do otherwise, Cannon, 43, told People magazine in a recent interview, “I’m chilling right now. There’s no plans on the horizon as of yet.”
And for good reason: fatherhood, he said, is not without its challenges.
“My entire life is challenging. I don’t live a normal existence, but I embrace it. I love challenges,” he said.
After a busy holiday season celebrating with all 12 of his children and poking fun at his abundant father life for a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial, “The Masked Singer” host said he’s finally “coming up for air” and reflecting on his fatherhood journey in an exclusive with the publication.
“I wouldn’t say there was one specific thing that stands out more than another,” he adds. “Every day, there’s a new challenge, and I accept it.”
Cannon first became a father in 2011, welcoming twins Moroccan and Monroe with his then-wife Mariah Carey. After their relationship ended in 2014, Cannon went on to father sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah and daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; and daughter Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole.
Most recently, the entertainer welcomed daughter Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott in December 2022. Cannon and Scott have also experienced the death of their 5-month-old son Zen in December 2021. Over the weekend, Cannon and Scott shared moments from a recent trip to a beach they spent with Halo.
“Zen’s Light and presence shining over little miss Halo and Mommy and Daddy,” he wrote in the caption of a post on Instagram that included a video of the unit. “What a beautiful day to remind us all that there is a higher power and God’s Energy and frequency to keep us all going under his grace and mercy even in the midst of challenges.
Reflecting on the fact that his firstborns, Moroccan and Monroe, are approaching 13, he told People the realization was “crazy!”
“Thirteen! That’s a big age, too. I remember that age like it was yesterday,” he noted, adding, “Then you think in five more years they’ll be college students and adults, and it’s like, ‘Whoa. Wow.’ Time flies like crazy.”
He continued, “You scroll through your iPhone, and they send you those photos like, ‘This was three years ago today,’ and you are like, ‘Yo, I thought that was last week. You just see the growth just right before your eyes.”
While co-parenting 12 children with six different mothers isn’t the easiest life, Cannon has a lot of joy. He told People his favorite part is hearing his children say, “I love you, Daddy.”
“The first time they say it, whether they’re one year old or 18 months, to hearing it from your kids that are on the brink of being teenagers,” he said. “There’s nothing better than that.”
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