Nick Cannon is opening up candidly about his unconventional journey through fatherhood. During a recent appearance on the popular morning radio show, *The Breakfast Club*, the 44-year-old host of *The Masked Singer* delved into his experience of becoming a father to 12 children. Cannon revealed that his approach to welcoming children into his life was, in many ways, a reaction to his past traumas. "It wasn't like I was acting out recklessly. It was more about being carefree, almost frivolous in my approach because I could afford it—financially and in terms of access to whoever and however I wanted to proceed," he explained. "Life, of course, has its own twists, so it wasn't a deliberate plan to have 12 kids. It was more like, 'You know what? I'm just going to live life, have fun, and whatever happens, happens. I can handle it.'"
Reflecting on his journey as he nears 45, Cannon mused, "Looking back now, if I had taken the time to think things through more carefully and done some inner healing work, things might have played out differently in certain scenarios." When host Charlemagne the God inquired whether this introspection might have led to a smaller family, Cannon responded thoughtfully, "I don't know... because, as I've always said, every child I have was born out of love, and each came from a meaningful relationship."
"Had I done the healing work after my divorce, I probably would have taken things slower in many areas," he continued. "For some reason, I thought the solution was always somewhere else, like, 'Oh, I'll figure it out over here.' But the truth is, you're just leaving a trail of unresolved trauma instead of addressing it at its source."
Cannon is a father to twins Moroccan and Monroe with his ex-wife, Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah Cannon, 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. He also shares two children with Alyssa Scott—son Zen, who tragically passed away at five months old in December 2021 after a battle with brain cancer, and daughter Halo Marie Cannon.
As for expanding his family further, Cannon told *PEOPLE* in March that he is "pressing pause" on welcoming any more children—for now. The creator of *Wild N' Out* clarified that while he isn't ruling it out entirely, he won't be adding to his brood anytime soon. "I honestly don't know what the future holds. I'm having so much fun right now, and given the state of my finances, I'm going to press pause on this dozen for now," he shared. "But who knows what might happen in three or five years? I'm not against it."
"There was a time when I thought, 'Nah, I'm done having kids.' Then I realized, 'Who am I to say that?'" he added. "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd have 12 kids. But here I am, loving my life and my children. If things continue on this path, why not keep going?"
During a conversation about his new late-night show with *Extra*’s Mona Kosar Abdi in July, Cannon opened up about how fatherhood has reshaped his perspective, particularly with five daughters. He expressed hope that his experiences would inspire his girls to "learn from my mistakes and avoid dating people like their dad."
"When you have five daughters, you start thinking, 'Alright, I at least want to be true and honest with them,'" he explained. "But I also realize I can't keep living the same life I've always lived and expect to right my wrongs. Hopefully, my daughters will learn from my mistakes and choose partners who are nothing like me."
