Strange Things About Nick Cannon's Tangled Love Life

Talent, money, and fame; Nick Cannon has it all. As a teenager, Cannon got his big break on "All That," a sketch comedy series that aired on Nickelodeon at the time. A natural talent, Cannon soon started rising in ranks in the hosting scene, eventually landing himself his own show "The Nick Cannon Show" in 2002. Since then, Cannon has grown to become one of the most popular and influential figures in the entertainment industry. His secret? Self-belief; lots of it! "You have to build yourself up first and foremost. Whatever your vision, whatever your dream is — speak it into existence," Cannon told CNBC back in 2016. But while Cannon's popularity has clearly been years of hard work in the making, the comedian has also become well known for other things — including his controversial personal life.

As of the time of writing, Cannon has fathered 12 kids with six women. And if you are wondering how he keeps up, not to worry, the "Love Don't Cost a Thing" actor has it all on lock. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm probably engaged throughout my children's day, more often than the average adult can be," Cannon shared in an interview with Men's Health. "If I'm not physically in the same city with my kids, I'm talking to them before they go to school via FaceTime and stuff." From a six-year marriage to a global pop star to a polyamorous relationship, here's a look at Nick Cannon's strange, tangled love life.

After meeting on the set of 2003's "Love Don't Cost a Thing," Nick Cannon struck a romantic relationship with his on-screen love interest Christina Milan. "I started dating Christina Milian from that movie," he recounted in a 2018 interview with International Business Times. "We didn't start dating until the very end of the movie, so it was actually cool because it allowed the chemistry to actually be real and really work." Sadly, Cannon and Milian were unable to replicate the happily ever after fairytale of their characters as barely two years in, their romance came crashing down. Though neither Cannon nor Milian spoke about their split at the time, the pair would eventually hint at what led to their split. 

While speaking on his romance with Milian in 2006, Cannon alluded that he was never in a committed relationship with Milan. "We were friends for months before we even got into it, and when we got into it, I was like ... 'Yo, anything remotely like a relationship, I don't want no parts of it,'" he said in an interview (via US Weekly). During a 2019 interview, however, Milian revealed that she discovered Cannon had been unfaithful to her after finding racy texts him and other women. "I was reading [everything on his phone]. For, like, a month, I was reading messages. It was unreal that it was happening," she explained to E! News. Cannon has however also insisted on doing no wrong with the television personality telling Power 106 radio show that "you got to be in a relationship to cheat." 

In January 2007, while attending a Super Bowl Party in Miami reconnected with his longtime friend, model Selita Ebanks. Shortly after, the pair started dating, and by the following month, they both could not stop gushing about each other. "Selita's amazing," Cannon told People of the Victoria's Secret model. "She changed me – I'm no longer a player. She changed everything." Ebanks on her part quipped about helping Cannon clean up his playboy act. "He's "made me the happiest I've ever been," she added.

Three months later, Cannon took their relationship to another phase when he proposed with a 12-carat diamond ring. "They got engaged last night," Chris Gay, Ebanks' agent at the time confirmed to People. "He took her to Times Square last night and did it in the center of Times Square. Then they had a party after the Met Gala to celebrate." But while Cannon wasted no time in popping the big question, he apparently was in no hurry to walk the aisle. "We haven't really talked about a lot of that stuff. You've got to take it slow," he responded to People when asked if they had picked a wedding date. Sadly, according to The US Sun, Cannon and Ebanks called it quit in October of that year. "Selita and Nick are taking a break to focus on their careers but still very much love each other and remain the best of friends," Ebanks' rep said at the time, per People.

Nick Cannon first sparked dating rumors with Mariah Carey in April 2008 after appearing as her love interest in the music video for "Bye Bye" a track off her eleventh studio album titled "E=MC²." The following month, Cannon and Carey shocked the world when they confirmed that they had in fact, tied the knot — after less than two months of dating. "We really do feel we are soulmates. I never felt a love like this was in the cards for me," Carey gushed to People in an exclusive interview. 

Two years later, Carey and Cannon announced that they were pregnant after months of rumors and speculation. "Yes, we are pregnant. This is true. It's been a long journey. It's been tough because I've been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy," the "Without You" singer revealed during an appearance on Today Show (via People). On April 30, 2011, the same day as their third wedding anniversary, Carey and Cannon welcomed twins, a boy named Moroccan Scott and a daughter called Monroe. "I spoke to both of them and they are both completely overjoyed," a representative for the singer confirmed to People at the time.

Despite what seemed like an unlikely match in heaven, Cannon and Carey's marriage soon came to an end. In 2014, they separated and finalized their divorce two years later in November 2016, according to Cosmopolitan.

Following his separation from Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon started dating model Jessica White in 2015. Though a source confirmed to E! News that the pair had known each other for a while, they reportedly stayed platonic during Cannon's marriage to Carey. "They been spending lots of time together and Nick really enjoys Jessica's free spirit and easy-going attitude for life," the source added. The following year, White opened up about her relationship with Cannon, describing him as one of her best friends. "Nick and I will always be close no matter what. He has a beautiful heart, it's not even about his looks, he has a good heart," she said in an interview (via People). 

After years of on-and-off romance, Cannon and White called it quits in 2020. Despite their split, however, the former couple has remained cordial, often spotted hanging out together and even once posing together in a racy photo for Cannon's 2022 mixtape "Raw N B: The Explicit Tape." In 2021, White opened up about her split from Cannon, hinting that it stemmed from the actor's refusal to defend her against criticisms she faced following Brittany Bell's pregnancy announcement in June 2020. "He said he was going to right his wrongs and say something. He has yet to do that," she said in an interview with Hollywood Unlocked. 

During a May 2023 appearance on "The Jason Lee Podcast," Cannon described White as "one of the most beautiful women on the planet," adding that he was in fact still in love with her. "She's been my muse for a long time," he added.

Though it is unclear when they started seeing each other, in April 2021 former DJ Abby De La Rosa revealed she was expecting twins with Nick Cannon. Taking to Instagram, the television personality shared a video featuring Cannon who cradled the baby bump. "Our dearest sons – my miracle babies, Thank you for choosing me to be your Mommy," she wrote (via E! News). "Your Dad & I will always be here for you both; in complete unison and support. No matter what this world may throw your way, know that forgiveness is key and what is for you – is for YOU!"

Since then, Cannon and De La Rosa have welcomed their third child together; daughter Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, born in November 2022. But despite their little family, Cannon and De La Rosa ended up opting for a non-traditional relationship. During a September 2022 appearance on the "Lovers and Friends" podcast, the former DJ opened up about her romance with Cannon and confirmed they were in a polyamorous relationship. De La Rosa however also expressed her wish to eventually have a committed monogamous partner. "I think I see monogamy for myself down the line, and this won't get me there. But I love where I'm at, at this very moment. It's just not my forever," she explained.

In January 2022, Nick Cannon announced that he was expecting a baby with American model Bre Tiesi. "It's a boy: We found out officially yesterday," he shared (via Entertainment Tonight). "Everyone knows I have a lot of children. It's never a competition. Each one is special." Six months later, the couple welcomed their son Legendary Love in an all-natural unmedicated home birth as revealed in Tiesi's Instagram announcement. "This experience has changed me forever and I couldn't of asked for a more amazing and supportive partner," she added. 

Per US Weekly, Cannon and Tiesi's relationship has been years in the making, albeit a little unstable. "Him and I have had our on-and-off for years," the "Selling Sunset" star told E! News of their relationship. Despite Cannon's involvement with other women, Tiesi maintained that she is more interested in the actor's great personality. "Look at your characteristics, look at your personality, look at how you treat people ...' That's what is so much more important to me than anything," the reality star said. As for the other mothers if Cannon's other kids, Tiesi explained that despite not having a close-knit relationship, they all remain respectful and supportive to each other.

Since his divorce from Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon has made it no secret that he has no intention to tie the knot again. "I don't believe in marriage anymore," he told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. "My mindset has changed. I have done that. I don't like doing things that I am not good at." Cannon doubled down on his statement in a separate interview, noting that he was against monogamous marriage simply because of its European origin. "That's a Eurocentric concept when you think about the ideas of you're supposed to have this one person for the rest of your life. I don't have ownership of any of the mothers. We create families in the sense of we created a beautiful entity," Cannon explained to "The Breakfast Club" in 2021.

And contrary to what you might think, Cannon says that he has little say in how many kids he fathers with the women in his lives because according to him, they are the ones who choose him. "Those women, and all women, are the ones that open themselves up and say, 'I would like to allow this man into my world and I will birth this child,'" the comedian told "The Breakfast Club" in 2021. "It ain't my decision. I'm just following suit." But regardless of the bond he shares with the mothers of his kids, Cannons says they all know how he feels about commitment and marriage.

He might have a lot of them, but Nick Cannon sure knows how to maintain a cordial relationship with his kids' mother. In addition to Mariah Carey, Abby De La Rosa, and Bre Tiesi, Cannon also shares three kids with model Brittany Bell, two with Alyssa Scott, and a daughter with LaNisha Cole, bringing the number of his brood to 12. With six different women to co-parent with, it is therefore no surprise that sometimes, Cannon can't keep up. In May 2023, the former "America's Got Talent" host recalled mixing up his kids' mothers in an attempt to do something special for them on Mother's Day. "As I'm writing the handwritten message, I get the cards mixed up," Cannon revealed during an episode of his radio show (via E! News). "So, when one baby mama reads the card about how I feel about the other baby mama—see if I would just got some generic sh** that everybody else got, that wouldn't have happened."

But not even a hiccup like this is enough to deter Cannon from having more kids. Speaking to ET in an interview in February 2023, Cannon opened up about his life as a father of 12, and the legacy he intends to leave behind for his brood. The "Drumline" actor also spoke on future plans to expand his family, noting that "God decides when we're done [laughs] but I believe I definitely got my hands full."