Nick Cannon leads a busy life as a dad of 12.
“It’s challenging,” Cannon, 45, exclusively tells Us while promoting his upcoming Wild ‘N Out Tour.
“Yeah, like, I’m in Alabama right now doing a promo run for Wild ‘N Out. I was at a double parent teacher conference for my son and my first-grade daughter, happening at the exact same time,” he shares. “And then I had just came from guitar lessons with my 4-year-old, so it’s like, that was my evening before I went to jump on the plane … I don’t know how I do it.”
Though his life is a whirlwind, Cannon says he “wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“I don’t care if you have one kid or 100 kids. They’re always gonna desire more time,” he continues. “You’re always gonna want to give more time. I feel that guilt daily. … I always want to say yes, but obviously, work and other things always get in the way. [As] long as you have equanimity and a healthy balance, and they know you’re trying.”
Cannon adds, “You know, I think my kids know I love them unconditionally, and they know Dad’s not perfect by any means, but he’s trying to do his best.”
Cannon became a dad in 2011 when he welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex Mariah Carey. Since then, he’s welcomed kids Golden Sagon, 9, Powerful Queen, 5, and Rise Messiah, 4, with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, 5, with Abby De La Rosa; Legendary Love, 4, with Bre Tiesi; Onyx Ice, 4, with LaNisha Cole; and Halo Marie, 3, with Alyssa Scott. He and Scott, 32, also shared son Zen, who tragically died from a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer at 5 months old in December 2021.
While speaking to Us, Cannon shares whether he’d consider expanding his family again.
“Right now, 12 is good,” he says. “I’m in the car line every day, and there’s basketball, karate, jujitsu, tap, piano, guitar … We come from a different generation; we were latchkey kids, and we had to take care of ourselves. I don’t remember my dad or mom being at my recitals. My mom was working three jobs and my dad lived across the country. So I take that stuff very seriously.”
According to Cannon, becoming a dad of 12 felt like his “destiny.”
“I come from a big, nontraditional, unorthodox family. My parents were teenagers when they had me, so my grandparents had a lot of influence on me,” he explains. “My grandmother was a foster mother, so I had hundreds of foster brothers and sisters growing up and learned how to take care of babies. It was always in me. I’m also a big kid at heart.”
With his 2026 Wild ‘N Out Tour, Cannon is celebrating more than 25 years of hosting the improv and sketch comedy series. He tells Us that this year’s tour, which kicks off at Oakland Arena on November 10, features fan favorites from the show’s original cast, including DC Young Fly, Justina Valentine and more.
“At the same time, I’m super excited [to introduce] new young people coming from all walks [of life] — streamers, content creators, comedians and artists,” he shares. “Wild ’N Out has always gotten credit for discovering young talent in the comedy space, but it’s also been a platform for people like Kanye [West] and Lil Wayne. When the show first dropped in the early 2000s, it was one of the few places where hip-hop artists were able to launch and perform. I’m trying to get back to those roots. My next goal is to find the next music superstar.”
