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Nick Cannon claims having 12 kids was ‘response to trauma’ in surprising admission

Home> Entertainment> Celebrity

Published 12:19 16 Sep 2025 GMT+1

Nick Cannon claims having 12 kids was ‘response to trauma’ in surprising admission

Cannon has 12 children with six different women, including twins with ex-wife Mariah Carey

Jen Thomas

Jen Thomas

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Much has been made of Nick Cannon's virility over the years, as the TV host has fathered 12 children by six different women.

Nick is the father of twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with his ex-wife, Mariah Carey; he has two sons, Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah, as well as a daughter, Powerful Queen, with Brittany Bell.

He has another set of twins, Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, as well as a daughter named Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa.

He fathered a son named Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi, as well as a daughter called Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole.

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Nick also had two children with Alyssa Scott, including a son called Zen, who sadly died at just 5 months old, and a daughter called Halo Marie.

Now, that's a lot of children to remember, something Cannon has struggled with himself before. But, as for why he had so many, he said it's all down to trauma.

Nick Cannon has opened up about the reasons why he has so many children (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)
Nick Cannon has opened up about the reasons why he has so many children (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

In an interview with The Breakfast Club radio show, the 44-year-old said it wasn't his intention to have 12 kids, but rather it was about because he 'could do it'.

"It wasn't like I was acting out. It was more of being careless, being frivolous with my process because I could do it, because I had the money [and] because I had the access to whoever and however I wanted to move," he said.

"Then, obviously, life happens as well, so it wasn't like 'Oh, I'm gonna go have 12 kids.' It was more about like, 'Yo, I'm gonna just live life and have fun and whatever happens happens. I can handle it'."

Now, as he approaches 45, he said he's had time to reflect and realise that if he'd 'thought the process through a little bit more' and taken the 'time to actually do the inner work', then things 'might have been a little different in certain scenarios'.

When asked if he wouldn't have had as many kids if he'd done that, Cannon replied: "I don't know ... because I've always said this, every child that I had was made out of love, and there were strong relationships.

Nick said it wasn't his intention to have twelve children (instagram/nickcannon)
Nick said it wasn't his intention to have twelve children (instagram/nickcannon)

"If I would have did the work [and] the healing after getting divorced, I probably would have took my time in a lot other scenarios and for whatever reason I thought that was the answer a lot of times, like 'Oh, I'm gonna figure it out over here,'."

He further acknowledged that his choices might be causing trauma for his kids: "Now, you're leaving trauma every step of the way instead of fixing it from its origin."

As for whether he'll be having any more children, the TV star said he wasn't so sure as of this moment, as he told PEOPLE earlier this year: "I really don't know. I'm being honest.

"I'm having so much fun in this space right now, and the way my bank account is set up, I'm going to press hold on this 12 for right now.

"I was just speaking of three years from now [or] five years from now, who knows? I'm not against it."

Featured Image Credit: John Nacion/Getty Images

Topics: Celebrity, Nick Cannon, Parenting

Jen Thomas
Jen Thomas

Jen Thomas is a freelance journalist and radio presenter for Magic Radio and Planet Rock, specialising in music and entertainment writing.

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@jenthomasradio

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