Claim to Fame season 2 just crowned its winner — and the victor’s celebrity relative is a very famous face.
Gabriel Cannon, younger brother of Nick Cannon, took home the $100,000 grand prize on Monday, August 28, after correctly guessing that Jerrica “Monay” Brooks is the daughter of J.B. Smoove.
Throughout the season, Gabriel, 36, carefully misled his costars by pretending he was related to a professional athlete. After the finale aired, he explained that he chose that strategy because of his build. “Like I said in one of the earlier episodes, I was happy this time that I didn’t look like Nick,” Gabriel quipped to Entertainment Weekly. “Trying to get in the club, it’s a little hard.”
Gabriel may not closely resemble Nick, 42, but there’s at least one thing they have in common: the difficulty of remembering all the names of Nick’s 11 children. (Nick forgot to mention 11-month-old daughter Onyx in April when rattling off a list of his kids.)
“He messed up [naming] all his kids, so I’m not even gonna attempt. I’m just [the] uncle. It’s easy,” Gabriel joked to EW, adding that he uses Google to remind himself of their names. “They’re all on the internet.”
Keep scrolling for five things to know about Gabriel:
How Did Nick Cannon Feel About Gabriel Doing Claim to Fame?
Gabriel admitted that Nick was initially “skeptical” about the series but changed his mind after watching season 1. “[He learned that] it wasn’t me putting out his dirty laundry,” Gabriel told EW. “I know there was one scene when I did, but, you know, it wasn’t messy. So, he kind of gave it his cosign. [He told me,] ‘It’s your time. Go get ’em.’”
Do Nick and Gabriel Cannon Have Any Other Siblings?
Nick is the oldest of five brothers. In addition to Gabriel, the Cannon family includes Reuben, Javen and Caleb. Javen has appeared on Wild ’n Out, while Reuben has worked in the music business. Caleb mostly stays out of the public eye, but he occasionally shares photos of his family via Instagram.
Is Gabriel Cannon a Musician?
Gabriel has been performing since he was a kid, forming a musical group called 3YB (3 Young Brothers) with two of his siblings when he was about 8 years old. He later had a recording contract with Def Jam as part of the group Rydaz n Rtist, which once toured with Nick’s ex-wife, Mariah Carey. He’s also released a couple of singles via Soundcloud and YouTube.
Have Nick and Gabriel Worked Together?
Gabriel briefly worked as a production assistant on Wild ’n Out shortly after he graduated high school. “Just the training, just the front row seat that I was able to get to everything he’s done is an experience you couldn’t pay for,” Gabriel told HollywoodLife of working with Nick. “He just gave me a fast-forward experience to life, and really, the entertainment industry.”
How Does Gabriel Plan to Spend His Claim to Fame Winnings?
Gabriel told HollywoodLife that he wants to use his prize to give back to youth in his community. “I want to take everything we’re learning in Hollywood and present it to them, because now that new generation’s got the technology and the tools. It’s just the direction and the guidance now, so some type of community youth empowerment motivational center,” he explained. “I definitely want to use the money just to create a bridge from Hollywood for these brands and to our community and to our youth of tomorrow for sure.”
