Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Nick Cannon
Topics: Nick Cannon, Parenting, Celebrity, Entertainment
Jen Thomas
Topics: Nick Cannon, Parenting, Celebrity, Entertainment
Nick Cannon has fathered 12 children, but it's his treatment of his teenage twins he shares with Mariah Carey that has caused upset.
The presenter has caused upset after talking about his parenting techniques for his son Moroccan, and his daughter Monroe, who are 15-year-old twins.
They're his first-born children, shared with the superstar singer Carey, and they celebrated their birthday this week.
Cannon shared a sweet tribute to them online: "Got two 15 year olds on my hands now!!!! Happy Birthday to my first firstborns! I thank God and you for allowing me to be your Dad! I love you Roc and Roe! Happy Birthday!"
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Speaking on The TMZ Podcast, Cannon confessed the teens receive wildly different treatment, and critics have hit out at him for how unfair it is.
He revealed: “My son has been dating, and I’ve allowed it, I encouraged it.
Cannon added: "And my daughter…” before trailing off, leading the podcast host to interject with “I hope you’ve been allowing it and encouraging that, too!"
Quick as anything, the conflicted dad replied: “No, absolutely not.”
Critics were unimpressed, hitting out at the star in the comments: "WOW, double standards!"
However one fan argued: "Double standard, yes. Good parenting, also yes. I just hope that dad taught his son how not to be 'one of those guys' that he's protecting his daughter from."
Cannon himself went on to admit it was unfair: "First of all, it’s absolutely a double standard… And I know I get in trouble a lot ‘cause I say things with my chest. But there is a difference when parenting a son and then when parenting a daughter."
The presenter, who is also dad to Golden, Powerful, Zion, Zillion, Zen, Legendary, Onyx, Rise, Beautiful and Halo, continued: “I am more protective of my daughter because there [are] things out there that I have to protect my daughter from."
"Like, as we know, there are a certain type of individuals that you want to keep your daughter away from."
"If somebody puts their hands on my daughter, I’m going to jail,” he fumed.
"If some man puts his hands on my daughter, it’s my worst nightmare because I am going to jail forever," he swore.
He elaborated: “We made a deal. If she can explain to me what’s going to happen on these dates, then she can go," and insisted she takes her twin brother with her, and insisted she 'ain't going one-on-one" with anyone anywhere.
The fearful father knows he can't control what happens at college, but said he's trying to keep open communication with her: “Hopefully, we’re having these open conversations. My daughter tells me any and everything, and even though I’m apprehensive, like, if you can explain it to [me] ... I want you to have all the questions answered or whatever, and you make the best decision possible."
"So, I know that’s around the corner. I don’t need anything to happen before tha, that scares me."