Nick Cannon, who’s the father of 12 children with six different women, has revealed that he doesn’t believe in the term “co-parenting.”
The TV host, 44, answered a question from a fan about “managing multiple co-parenting relationships” while dating during Wednesday’s episode of his podcast, Nick Cannon @ Night.
“The label co-parenting, I’ve always kind of had an issue,” Cannon said. “Because why do we have to have the co, we’re just parents. When you start throwing labels on things, I think it does more harm than help and can get very dangerous, because then everybody else has a preconceived notion of what you’re doing.”
He confessed that while he hasn’t “figured out” how to raise his children with a half-dozen women, he approaches it with a certain perspective.
“If I just step into every situation with respect and compassion and individuality,” Canno explained. “That’s the other thing I always do with anyone I’m involved with in my life.”
He then acknowledged that he doesn’t “bunch” the mothers of his 12 children together.
“I really try my hardest not to be like, ‘Oh yeah, my baby mamas,’” he continued. “Unless I’m telling a joke or something like that, but no one wants to be grouped into anything. Everyone wants to be treated like an individual with respect and compassion.”
However, according to Cannon, the six mothers of his children don’t get along. “Do you know six women anywhere that get along?” he said, noting that the women don’t necessarily have to be friends.
“They have their own lives, they raise their children the way they want,” he added.
Cannon first became a father when he welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey in 2011. Since then, he welcomed ten more children: sons Golden Sagon, Rise Messiah, and daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell; twins Zion and Zillion, and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa. He has a son, Legendary Love, with Bre Tiesi, welcomed daughter Halo Marie and his late son Zen with Alyssa Scott, and has a daughter, Onyx Ice, with LaNisha Cole.
In 2023, Cannon didn’t rule out the idea of having more kids. When asked if he is “done” having children, Cannon told Entertainment Tonight: “God decides when we’re done, but I believe I definitely got my hands full. And I’m so focused. I’m locked in.”
However, he added a caveat: “But when I’m 85, you never know. I might.”
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in February, he also shared how he divides his time between his 12 children and their mothers, noting he prioritizes “energy management” rather than “time management.”
“Once we’re all aligned, the flow is a lot easier. If there’s any kind of low frequencies or dissension in there, that’s what messes up the scheduling,” the Wild N’ Out host explained. “As long as we’re all on the same page and we all got the same goal – to be the best parents we could possibly be – that works, and then the scheduling is the scheduling.”
