Why Nick Cannon Thought There Was "No Way" He’d Have 12 Kids

Nick Cannon isn't wild 'n out over making time for his kids.

But as The Masked Singer host—who shares 12 kids with six women, recently explained—navigating life with a dozen kids is something he feels would shock his younger self.

"As much as I was open to every single child that I have, I can't say the majority of them were planned," Nick confessed on the June 14 episode of The Language of Love with Dr. Laura Berman. "If you would have told me in 2012 when I was still married and just diagnosed with Lupus that 10 years from now, that I would have 12 children, I'd be like there is no way in the world that I would ever plan that or that would happen."

However, the 42-year-old—who was married to Mariah Carey from 2008-2016—says that he now views his blended family as part of a higher purpose. As he put it, "It's almost like when you have these manifestations or visions, if that's what you want to call them, it's like 'Oh, that all makes sense now." 

"I've heard, 'You're going to be a father of many," Nick continued. "You're a great influence. Your lineage, your offspring, are going to do great things.' I've had that. And I'm like, 'the more the merrier,' we roll the dice to the name and what you will build."

But nevertheless, there were times where the Nickelodeon alum questioned if he wanted to put a stop to procreating once and for all. In fact, he "contemplated deeply" getting a vasectomy.  

"I no longer want to be careless," the Wild 'n Out host shared on the podcast. "I want to be a lot more intentional with life, especially when dealing with creating life, because I love all my children but I probably wasn't intentional. I was like, 'Oh if it happens, amazing, God's miracles.'"

However, one area that Nick struggles in is allocating time for each kid.

"Now I have 12, so no matter how much money you make, you can't buy time," he said. "I want to be intentional in all of their lives currently, and I don't want to spread anyone else any thinner than they already are."

Nick noted that if he does have more kids in the future, it will be "very intentional and the timing will be the best timing that I believe it should be." 

And although Nick tries to make time for all the kiddos equally, his comments come a month after he revealed he spends the most time with daughter Onyx Ice Cole Cannon, 9 months, who he shares with LaNisha Cole.

"My beautiful daughter Onyx, that's probably the child that I spend the most time with, really," Nick said on the Jason Lee Podcast. "I'm with her at least three times a week, for the full day."

The Misfits actor also shares twins Moroccan Cannon and Monroe Cannon, 11, with Mariah as well as sons Golden Cannon, 6, and Rise Messiah Cannon, 8 months and daughter Powerful Queen Cannon, 2, with Brittany Bell. He's also dad to 2-year-old twin sons Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, 7 months, with Abby De La Rosa and son Legendary Love Cannon, 11 months, with Selling Sunset's Bre Tiesi.

Nick and Alyssa Scott share daughter Halo Marie Cannon, 6 months, The pair are also parents to son Zen Cannon, died in 2021 at 5 months old from brain cancer. 

Keep reading to check out more from Nick's life with his kids.