Why did Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey divorce? What we know as tv host claims split reason for siring 12 kids

American comedian and television host Nick Cannon recently weighed in on fathering 12 kids, admitting that the way he went about having them was "careless," and shaped by the "trauma that I was experiencing of not knowing how to handle divorce," with Mariah Carey.

For those unversed, Nick welcomed twins Moroccan Scott and daughter Monroe on April 30, 2011, with ex-wife Mariah Carey.

The couple was married for six years and eventually finalized their divorce on November 2, 2016. In her book The Meaning of Mariah Carey, Mariah revealed that things could have worked out in between them; however, "egos and emotions got inflamed."

"It was tough. We both wanted to make sure everything was cool for our family. We will always be family, and we make it work," she added.

Similarly, in an October 2024 episode of Ray Daniels Presents, Cannon shared that he was on a different trajectory than Mariah, who was "already in a different stratosphere."

"I would lay up at night thinking, like, 'Is this who I am? Am I Mariah's man? Is that what my life is supposed to be?'"

He explained that he became comfortable with the lifestyle, stating that Mariah owned islands, he was waking up at noon, and people were serving him food.

"Then when you have children and the hierarchy of just your man sh*t is like 'Wait I can't, I'm carrying a purse, the diaper bag, and I'm standing on the corner like "Wait, she rocking being all the alpha.'"

However, Nick admitted that Mariah was "understanding" and that they never had problems, but he was getting "mad" at himself, and he was "not being the dude that God put me on this Earth."

After his divorce from Mariah, Nick welcomed 10 more children with multiple partners. In the September 15 episode of The Breakfast Club podcast, Nick shared that the way he had kids was mainly shaped by the "trauma" that he was experiencing of not knowing "how to handle divorce."

"You know what I mean? and like me, acting out because I'm like, 'Oh, I'm the man now,' and instead of healing and doing what I should have actually did, I just jumped out there," he added.

"It was more of being careless": Nick Cannon on having 12 kids

Furthermore, in the aforementioned podcast, Nick Cannon shared he wasn't "acting out," rather his way of having kids was "more of being careless" and "frivolous."

"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. 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,'" he added.

Nick admitted that now he looks back and realizes that if he had taken more time to think and do the "inner work," things could have turned a little different in "certain scenarios."

Meanwhile, in an interview with People Magazine in March 2025, he revealed that he will "press hold" for now in having more kids.

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

After his divorce from Mariah, Nick Cannon welcomed son Golden Sagon Cannon with model Brittany Bell on February 21, 2017. The ex-couple later welcomed Powerful Queen Cannon in December 2020 and Rise Messiah Cannon in September 2022.

On June 14, 2021, he welcomed twin boys, Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir Cannon, with Abby De La Rosa; nine days after he welcomed Zen, with model Alyssa Scott. However, the baby passed away with brain cancer in December 2021 at 5 months.

Meanwhile, in July 2022, he welcomed a son, Legendary Love, with Bre Tiesi, followed by a daughter, Onyx Ice Cole, with LaNisha Cole on September 14, 2022. Additionally, the comedian welcomed a daughter, Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, with De La Rosa on November 11, 2022, followed by his 12th child, a baby girl named Halo Marie Cannon, on December 14, 2022, with Scott.