Nick Cannon is opening up about his “unorthodox” life as a dad of 12.
In a new interview with People, the “Wild ’n Out” leading man gushed that there is “nothing more important” than his army of kiddos.
The 44-year-old comedian welcomed his first children, twins Monroe and Moroccan, with his ex-wife, Mariah Carey, in 2011. After they divorced in 2016, Cannon went on to welcome 10 other children with five women: Abby De La Rosa, LaNisha Cole, Brittany Bell, Alyssa Scott and Bre Tiesi.
“I love my kids unconditionally, and there’s nothing more important than my children, so it’s a learning lesson of love for me every single day,” Cannon told the outlet over Fourth of July weekend. “The number one thing is just to be present and to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m here, we’re growing together.’”
The “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” star went on to address criticism over his “non-traditional” lifestyle as a dad.
“I always tell everybody it’s the proof is in the pudding, so we’re gonna see,” he said. “As these children grow up and they’re surrounded with love, all I can do is pray that they can have an open and loving life because they see what that is in a very, like you said, non-traditional, unorthodox way, but it’s still filled with love.”
Cannon explained that welcoming his big bunch of little ones has allowed him to experience “many different flavors of how fatherhood can look.”
“But also to put a different face on the fatherhood, too, because you see it in so many different ways now that you didn’t see before,” he continued. “You can be present and you can have multiple relationships.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Cannon, who had said earlier this year that he was open to having more kids, provided an update on whether he plans to expand his family again anytime soon.
“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,” he said. “But. I was just speaking of three years from now [or] five years from now, who knows? I’m not against it.”
Cannon said he “never imagined” he would have 12 kids but declared that his life has been great with his family dynamic.
“There was a point in time where I was just like, ‘Nah, I’m done.’ And, then I was like, ‘Who am I to say that?’ ” he added. “It seemed like it was such an emphatic thing. I never imagined that I would have 12 kids. So, it’s one of those things where I love children. I love my life, and if it could keep going in the direction that it’s going, why not?”