Nick Cannon has joked that his sperm is so powerful it can defy birth control. In a recent conversation on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, the actor and TV host reflected on his status as a father of 12.
“I’m gonna be honest, I got some super sperm or something, because I’ve practiced birth control, and people still got pregnant,” he said, adding: “I’m trying to be as responsible as I possibly can, learning lessons.”
Cannon currently has 12 children with six different mothers: 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan with Mariah Carey; 6-year-old Golden Sagon, 2-year-old Powerful Queen and 6-month-old Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell; 6-month-old Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole; 1-year-old twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and 4-month-old Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; 3-month-old Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott; and 8-month-old Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi.
Cannon, who has previously said that he pays more than $3 million per annum in child support, told Mandel that while he has no further plans to have additional children, he also wouldn’t rule it out.
“I’m good with my dozen,” he said. “But there’s no way to answer that question correctly because everyone has a problem with however I answer it, so I just say as of right now I have 12 and I’m very happy, but if — I don’t know what’s in store in the future…. I’m at a point in my life where I can dedicate my entire existence to them even when I’m working, it’s all to benefit my children.”
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
