Nick Cannon is speaking up about the treatment of his children’s mothers.
While announcing the birth of daughter Onyx Ice Cole, his ninth child, with former Price Is Right model LaNisha Cole, the Masked Singer host, 41, addressed criticism of his growing family.
“As we all know, I am not easily triggered and have quite tough skin and have always been an open book but not everyone in my family has that same level of strength,” Cannon wrote in part of the caption of the birth announcement.
“So I pray and ask others to please project all criticism and cynicism towards ME and not the loving and precious Mothers of my children.”
Speaking of Cole, who becomes the sixth woman to share a baby with Cannon, he praised her as “one of the most guileless, peaceful and non-confrontational kind souls I’ve ever witnessed,” adding she “only deserves to revel in this moment of blissful joy of motherhood,”
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“Please give her that. She is so loving and pure-hearted.”
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Speaking about the concerns expressed about him as a person and a parent, Cannon said that he has “given up on attempting to define myself for the world or society.”
“Instead I’m doing the work to heal and grow into the infinite Being God ordained me to be. Hopefully I can teach Onyx the same, to not let others shame or ridicule her with their outside opinions, because when they do they are only projecting their own harsh experiences, pain and social programming onto her unblemished beauty.”
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Later, his post concluded: “As for me, if you are truly concerned during this time of Spiritual Warfare, my inner struggles with self, mental wellness and physical health concerns… Just continue to pray for me and my entire family that God will grant us peace that surpasses all understanding.”
Abby De La Rosa/Instagram
Cannon has eight other children. He shares 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex Mariah Carey, as well as son Golden Sagon, 5, and daughter Powerful Queen, 19 months with model Brittany Bell — who is currently expecting their third child together. Cannon also is dad to twin sons Zion and Zillion, 15 months, with former radio personality Abby De La Rosa. She is expecting her third baby this fall.
Additionally, Cannon recently welcomed son Legendary Love, 10 weeks, with model Bre Tiesi. He is also father to a child with Alyssa Scott — son Zen, who died at 5 months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Cannon’s comments come just hours after De La Rosa spoke about facing hate for sharing a child with the Wild N’ Out host in an episode of the Lovers and Friends with Shan Boodram podcast.
“I’ve never been hit with thousands of people just telling me their hate for me,” she said, noting that the public discussion of his previous relationships and partners made it so their situation inherently became very public.
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“He had a lover over here that, they were going strong and they had been involved for years. Then he had another beautiful family over here that he has. And then he has his ex-wife, who’s the queen of all queens,” she added, referring to Carey. “People feel so invested.”
Asked if Cannon has helped her navigate the situation, considering he navigates it himself and the other women who have children with him have also dealt with hate, De La Rosa said “Yeah, no.”
She then added, “I don’t think that’s his responsibility to either, to be very honest.”
Noting that Cannon is a “very positive person,” she explained he will simply tell people to ignore the haters, and later added that, “sometimes that positivity is toxic as well.”
