Nick Cannon is a proud father of 12 kids, whom he shares with six different women.
In a post shared to Instagram, the “Masked Singer” host and Abby De La Rosa recently revealed that one of their children, Zillion, was “recently diagnosed” with autism.
“Today our family recognizes World Autism Awareness Day which is beyond meaningful to us because our amazing 2-year-old, Zillion, was recently diagnosed with ASD,” the joint announcement reads, in part. “Our beautiful boy experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new every day!”
The post continues, saying the toddler’s “love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters.”
“We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!”
De La Rosa and Cannon go on to “extend our embrace to families worldwide, acknowledging shared challenges and championing understanding.”
“Together, let’s create a world of acceptance and compassion,” the post concludes.
Zillion has a twin, Zion. DJ and radio personality De La Rosa is also mom to a one-year-old daughter, Beautiful Zeppelin, with Cannon. The three make up one-quarter of Cannon’s brood.
Cannon appears to be enjoying the paternal phase of his life.
“Every day I just wake up excited as a father,” he told People in May 2022.
“I’m so excited about all my kids,” he added. “Constantly, from every aspect of it. From them getting citizen of the month awards in the first grade to the birth of the new ones.”
Appearing on “The Breakfast Club” podcast Dec. 1, 2023, Cannon revealed that he spends some $200,000 a year when he takes all 12 children to Disneyland, adding that he used to be an employee.
“So, I used to get that Disney bag. They were perks,” he said, referring to the time when he served as the host of the theme park's Christmas morning parade from 2009 to 2019.
He continued, “So, all of that stuff was free. It’s no longer free, and I only had two kids then. I’m literally at Disneyland once a month, and to move around Disney, I’m probably spending $200,000 a year at Disneyland.”
Read on for a timeline of Cannon’s kids, whom he shares with six women, including singer Mariah Carey and “Selling Sunset” star Bre Tiesi.
How many kids does Nick Cannon have?
Cannon's 12th child, whom he shares with Alyssa Scott, was born Dec. 14, 2022. The couple are also parents to late son Zen, who died in December 2021.
Speaking to TODAY, Cannon said Zen was diagnosed with glioma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, in August 2021. In December of that year, Zen died from a malignant brain tumor.
Cannon said he was relying on his faith to help him heal. “I’m taking it as my therapist says, five minutes at a time,” he said. “I’m optimistic in finding the purpose through all of the pain, so I’m attempting to smile, I’m attempting to be the high-frequency individual that I’ve set out to be, but along the way there’s definitely some curves in the journey, so I’m taking it five minutes at a time.”
Who are the mothers of Nick Cannon's children?
Cannon shares his children with six women, from a legendary singer to a cast member of "Selling Sunset."
As for the specifics of Cannon's arrangements with these women? Bre Tiesi, who has a child with Cannon, said on a June 2022 episode of the “Know For Sure” podcast that her relationship with the TV personality was impossible to categorize.
“It’s not necessarily anything,” said Tiesi, adding that she and Cannon are not monogamous with each other. “This is just us, this is our relationship and what you do outside of that is what you do outside of that.”
“Everything is respectful, everything is honest,” she added. “We don’t really define it.”
Speaking to TODAY.com, Tiesi said Cannon is a "great dad" and a "great person," adding that he is "very bonded" with his son.
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is the mother of twins Monroe and Moroccan Scott, who were born in 2011. Carey and Cannon were married from 2008 to 2016, per People.
Brittany Bell
Model and former Miss Arizona USA Brittany Bell shares son Golden Sagon, who was born in 2017, daughter Powerful Queen, who was born in 2020, and son Rise Messiah, who was born in 2022, with Cannon.
LaNisha Cole
Photographer LaNisha Cole shares her daughter, Onyx Ice Cole, with Cannon. She welcomed her baby in September 2022.
Abby De La Rosa
DJ and radio personality Abby De La Rosa and Cannon had twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir in June 2021. In November 2022, they welcomed their third child, daughter Beautiful Zeppelin.
In 2022, De La Rosa shared a video on Instagram of the home Cannon bought her. “Here’s to beautiful new beginnings,” De La Rosa captioned the clip.
Alyssa Scott
Model Alyssa Scott and Cannon share their daughter, Halo Marie, whom they welcomed in December 2022. One year earlier, their son, Zen, died from a malignant brain tumor at 5 months old.
Scott also has a daughter named Zeela from a previous relationship.
Bre Tiesi
Bre Tiesi had Legendary Love, a son with Cannon, in June 2022. The real estate agent and model joined the cast of "Selling Sunset" in Season Six.
In a May 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Tiesi talked about her home life and said, "Being a new mom is definitely the most trying thing I’ve ever done."
"It really gave me so much growth and strength that I didn’t know that I had and completely shaped me and changed me," she said. "My priority has always been work and my career, and it was a lot for me to kind of put it dead near last, to be completely honest, and I felt like I wasn’t delivering, I wasn’t able to do what I needed to do. But at the same time, I didn’t want to leave my baby for one second. It was so hard for me."
Tiesi's relationship with Cannon was a subject of drama with fellow cast member Chelsea Lazkani, who questioned the logistics of their setup. Lazkani, a married mom of two, questioned Tiesi about how Cannon was able to spend adequate time with each of his children in an episode from Season Six.
“I know that for me, I’m going to do what works for me, and I really don’t care how anyone feels about it,” Bre responded.
Meet all of Nick Cannon's kids
Monroe and Moroccan Cannon
On April 30, 2011, Cannon became a father for the first time when he and then-wife Mariah Carey welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, making them Tauruses.
Speaking to E! News in 2011, Cannon went into the meaning of their son and daughter's names.
“Monroe, obviously, is named by Marilyn Monroe, who my wife has been inspired by and loved for many years,” Cannon said. “And my son, I love his name, we called him Moroccan. He needed a strong name ... Roc Cannon.
“And,” he added, “you think about Moroccan and that’s kind of like my name and Mariah’s name phonetically together. I also proposed to my wife in our Moroccan room. There’s a lot of meanings to it. We put a lot of thought into those names.”
In a February 2018 interview with Us Weekly, Cannon offered an anecdote about son Moroccan being a "technological genius" — and a mischief-maker. Moroccan got into his Gmail account and changed all of the settings in his favor. “I know none of the passwords,” Cannon said. “All of my emails say it’s coming from Moroccan Monroe.”
Cannon and Carey got married in 2008 and later divorced in 2016, per People. After Cannon and Carey divorced, they started co-parenting their children.
“The common denominator is we both want what’s best for our children,” Cannon told Us Weekly. “You put them first and you step back and become selfless in making decisions and it’s pretty easy.”
No longer together, Cannon said he still has love for Carey. During a July 2022 appearance on the “Hot Tee Talk Show," the comedian said that he'll "always love" the "We Belong Together" singer.
"I guess because I’m a truly romantic, I’m a true believer in love,” he said, “I will never have a love like I had with Mariah. And I appreciate that.”
Golden Cannon
On Feb. 21, 2017, Cannon welcomed his son Golden with former Miss Arizona Brittany Bell. Golden is a Pisces.
For Golden's 5th birthday in 2022, his parents threw him a Wakanda-themed party from "Black Panther," as these Instagram posts demonstrate.
Powerful Queen Cannon
In December 2020, Bell announced on Instagram that she welcomed another baby, daughter Powerful Queen Cannon, with the "Love Don't Cost a Thing" actor.
A year after Powerful Queen's birth, Cannon raved about his daughter being a "brilliant baby." The "Drumline" actor shared a video on Instagram of Powerful reading words from a few cue cards, and joked that his other potential name for her was "Genius Empress."
Zion and Zillion Cannon
On June 14, 2021, Cannon welcomed twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir Cannon with professional DJ Abby De La Rosa. Zion and Zillion's zodiac sign is Gemini.
For the twins' 1st birthday, De La Rosa paid homage to them on Instagram, writing that they gave her "purpose" and are her "heart (chakra) in human form."
De La Rosa also wrote a message to Cannon. "The world can say what they want but you go ABOVE AND BEYOND for us and for that we’re forever grateful for you," she wrote in a separate post. "It’s not only my Birthing day but Yours too! We created magic."
Almost one month later, De La Rosa shared a video of Zillion taking his first steps on Instagram.
Zen Cannon
In June 2021, the same month twins Zion and Zillion were born, Cannon welcomed son Zen with Alyssa Scott. Tragically, Zen died of a brain tumor December 2021.
For what would have been his 1st birthday, Scott wrote a message on Instagram: "Happy heavenly birthday Zen. At the root of all the emotions I have today there is insurmountable love. I always try my best to remain positive but right now I can’t help but cry out 'it’s not suppose to be like this. In my mind I can see him smashing his cake and crawling around, tugging at my legs. But the reality is I will be the one to blow out his first candle. I will be wishing he was still here with us."
Legendary Love Cannon
Cannon welcomed Legendary Love Cannon with model Bre Tiesi on June 28, 2022, making the baby a Cancer.
On Instagram, Tiesi shared pictures of her "all natural unmedicated home birth" with Cannon, writing that giving birth to Legendary was "the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience" that she's ever had.
"This experience has changed me forever and I couldn’t of (sic) asked for a more amazing and supportive partner," Tiesi wrote.
Onyx Ice Cole Cannon
Onyx Ice Cole Cannon is shared between Cannon and photographer LaNisha Cole. The duo announced their daughter's arrival on Sept. 15, 2022.
"I promise to love this little girl with all my heart, regardless what anyone says … I’ve given up on attempting to define myself for the world or society but instead I’m doing the work to heal and grow into the infinite Being God ordained me to be," Cannon shared on Instagram. "Hopefully I can teach Onyx the same."
Rise Messiah Cannon
Cannon announced the birth of his 10th child — and fellow Libra — on Instagram on Sept. 30, 2022. Cannon shares Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell.
"(Bell) has been the rock and foundation of my Fatherhood journey. She has taught me so much about parenting, psychology, spirituality, love and just life in general," Cannon wrote in his announcement on Instagram.
Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon
Cannon shares Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa. Cannon announced her birth on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, when he shared a photo of him and De La Rosa looking at Beautiful Zeppelin.
"It is my continued duty to make you and our children feel valued and protected every single day! BEAUTIFUL ZEPPELIN aka BZC aka BIZZY B! Get ready because the world is yours! Daddy loves you!!" he captioned the Instagram post.
De La Rosa posted a video about her daughter and a tribute to Cannon. "You already have your Dad wrapped around your finger, it’s been the sweetest thing ... He works so hard and will go above and beyond to make sure you know you are loved. We love you more then you’ll ever know," she said.
Halo Marie Cannon
Halo Marie Cannon is Cannon's youngest child, whom he shares with model Alyssa Scott.
On Dec. 29, 2022, Scott announced her birth when she shared a clip of her pregnancy journey on Instagram.
In the post, Scott revealed that her baby girl was born two weeks earlier.
“December 14 2022. Our lives are forever changed ❤️,” Scott wrote in the announcement post.
“I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying ‘it’s a girl’ and the look of everything we’ve been through flash across his face. I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon! 🤍”
Cannon explained his approach to having kids
Cannon explained why he's had so many kids during a February 2022 appearance on "The Language of Love" podcast with Dr. Laura Berman.
In short, he said that if he chooses to have unprotected sex with someone, then he could see that person as the mother of his child.
"If I’ve gotten to that point where I say, ‘I can take off this condom,’ I’m gonna say, ‘She could be the mother of my child,’” Cannon said, per Us Weekly.
“Every woman that I have a child with, there is definitely a conversation about, ‘Wow, how amazing would this be?’ I feel like every woman I have a child with are amazing mothers, and there was a thought process going into like, ‘Man, she would be an amazing mother. She’s desired children. I can’t wait to see what type of mother she would be,'" he continued.