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The multi-hyphenated Nick Cannon is a true force of nature. He's been in the entertainment industry since the late 90s and has spent his time working hard and making a name for himself.However, he was diagnosed with a relatively unknown disease in 2012. 10 years later, he opens up about his diagnosis and his daily battle to continue doing what he loves.
Nick Cannon Has Found Success As A Musician, Actor, And Host
Born in San Diego on October 8, 1980, Cannon grew up poor and underprivileged. For a time, he was affiliated with a dangerous California gang but later left after a close friend of his was killed. In 1998, he began performing stand-up comedy and later turned to rapping. In 2001, he was on the Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius soundtrack with his cover of "Parents Just Don't Understand", originally released in 1988 by DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince.
In the following 2 years, he would star in the films Drumline and Love Don't Cost A Thing. Cannon would see his career as a musician receive relative commercial success while his acting career took off. In 2005, he would create his improv comedy series Wild N Out for MTV and begin his long career as a successful TV host.
Nick Cannon's Health Starts To Decline
Everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place for Cannon. In 2008, he married pop superstar Mariah Carey and in 2011, they welcomed fraternal twins named Monroe and Moroccan.
Less than a year later, in January 2012, Cannon would be hospitalized due to pain on his right side, shortness of breath, and swelling. In March of that same year, he announced that he had been diagnosed with lupus, and it was causing him to experience kidney failure. At the time, he was only 31 year old.
At the time, Cannon was mostly worried about his children. In a feature story on WebMD, Cannon was quoted saying, “The first thing I asked when I was diagnosed was 'Does this mean my children have the possibility of contracting the disease?'
The doctors put me at ease and let me know that it didn’t really work that way. That was a relief. I always let my kids know that they don’t need to worry, Dad’s going to be OK. That’s something that I try to put forward each and every day.” In 2014, Cannon and Carey filed for divorce, however it wasn't finalized until 2016. Cannon would be hospitalized again towards the end of the year for lupus-related health complications, but would be released in time for New Year's Eve.
How Nick Cannon Copes With His Disease
Cannon has had multiple health issues related to his autoimmune disease, most of which seem to target his kidneys. A Page Six article quotes Cannon saying, "It’s the last place you wanna be, man. Doctors telling you you could die... God’s plans are always bigger than our problems, so, what was once an issue, I can now say, ‘Look what we went through.' It was hard. It was a struggle, but we made it through.”
Since his diagnosis, Cannon has changed his lifestyle significantly. His strict diet has called for him to cut out all processed foods and the only meat he eats is fish. He's also incorporated tons of fresh fruits and vegetables into his daily calorie intake in addition to staying well hydrated while taking care to not over hydrate. In an article published by Toronto Star, Cannon is quoted speaking about his diet. “It’s all about healthy living and fueling your system, but I don’t get to eat the things that I like to eat. You’ve got to stay hydrated and eat fruits and vegetables for breakfast.”
His health problems haven't stopped him from maintaining his career as America's favorite host. He's gone on to host shows such as TeenNick Top 10, Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon, America's Got Talent, Lip Sync Battle Shorties, and The Masked Singer.
Along with his impressive resume, he's also been, erm, "keeping busy" in regard to his family life. As of this writing, Cannon has welcomed 9 children with 5 different women with at least 1 more baby on the way. And according to Cannon, it was completely intentional. In an interview on The Howard Stern Radio Show, Cannon explained how fathering this many children was no mistake. ‘I’m probably gonna die sooner than most people... So why wear condoms? I might not be here tomorrow!’ " This mentality has stirred up some controversy among fans and critics alike. However, it seems like in many aspects of Cannon's life, he shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
