Summary
- Nick Cannon aims to replicate the large family structure he didn't have growing up due to absent parents and unconventional upbringing.
- Despite critics questioning his parenting, Nick Cannon makes efforts to be active in his children's lives, using limited time to spend quality moments.
- While Cannon's father supports his lifestyle, his mother remains out of the public eye, with limited involvement in Nick's endeavors.
Nick Cannon has made no secret of his desire to have a huge, unconventional family. Part of his motivation to have so many children was his chronic illness, but looking into Nick's past, there might be another reason he wants to be a dad of many.
Growing up, Nick did not have a conventional family structure, nor did he have his mom or dad around much. Cannon's less-than-conventional upbringing might be why he is so open-minded about spawning an entire generation of kids who don't have a live-in dad.
Updated April 2024: Nick Cannon has been dragged into the Sean Combs abuse and drug ring scandal. This is because not only are old interviews resurfacing where Cannon spoke about Combs, but he was actually interviewed right before Combs' mansion in Florida was raided. During the interview, Cannon was asked about the abuse case against Combs from his ex-girlfriend, Cassie. Cannon stated he had "difficulty" when being asked about people he knows because they are not just "public figures" but friends. This interview came several days before Cannon revealed that his son, Zillion, who Cannon shares with Abby De LaRosa has been diagnosed with autism.
Critics Have Dragged Nick Cannon For Not Being Around His Kids
Critics find it hard to believe that Nick Cannon can spend quality time with his 12 children
The biggest complaint that critics have about Nick Cannon making so many babies is that he can't possibly be active in each of their lives.
As much as Nick tries to push back against that accusation by sharing snapshots of his time with his kids, planning their birthday parties, and even giving lavish gifts to their moms, it's true there are only so many hours in a day.
Based on what Nick has shared, it seems he does spend a lot of time with his daughter Onyx, but he also remains quite active in twins Morocco and Monroe's lives.
Cannon is also still close—and seemingly in a relationship with—Bre Tiesi, meaning the logistics are such that he likely spends ample time with their son, Legendary.
Even with an easy dozen kids, Nick may be making more of an effort to raise his children than his own father did.
Nick Cannon's Parents Apparently Weren't Very Involved In His Life
Nick Cannon's parents were teens when he was born and he was subsequently raised by his grandfather
According to multiple accounts of Nick Cannon's childhood, his own parents were never around. Nick's simple explanation was that his parents were teenagers when he was born, and they were not equipped to raise a child.
Nick was raised by his paternal grandfather, James Cannon Sr. (his dad is James Cannon Jr.), who he had a very close bond with. When James Sr. passed away in 2016, on the heels of Nick's divorce from Mariah Carey, the comedian said he was in a rough place.
Yet his grandfather's passing was peaceful, he explained, because they knew it was coming. That allowed them to have conversations they would not otherwise have had the opportunity to do, leaving Nick grateful for his grandfather's final days.
Do Nick Cannon's Parents Have Relationships With Their Grandkids?
Nick Cannon's dad has met some of his children, but it is unclear if his mom has any relationship with them
Because Nick doesn't often speak about his family life, other than to praise his grandfather, his parents' names aren't mentioned often. But it turns out that Nick's father, at least, wholeheartedly supports his son's lifestyle, even if the two aren't necessarily close.
In an interview, James Cannon spoke about Nick's family planning as they awaited the seventh child in his brood. The elder Cannon explained, "I believe children are blessings. And I teach my son, 'Make as much money as you can, and have as many children as you can.' I would fight for family. I'm pro-life."
Nick wasn't involved in the interview, but it seemed he was at least somewhat close with his biological father, as James explained he had met some of Nick's children.
He elaborated, "I have met Golden and Powerful, they come up often, I'd have a great relationship with all of them," seemingly hinting that he hadn't met all of Nick's kids at that point, but that Nick himself was likely open to it.
James elaborated on his own fatherhood, confirming the rumored fact that he was 17 when he found out Nick was on his way. Only 16 days after meeting Beth Hackett, James got her pregnant, he said, and after they talked about marriage, she opted out (and he wasn't ready anyway).
James noted, "She wanted to go on and do her thing and she let Nick come and live with me and my mom at two months old."
While James' story doesn't quite align with what is widely reported, regarding Nick being raised solely by his grandfather, it makes sense that he was around when Nick was younger since he still lived at home for a time.
The fact that he works for his son's foundation is another telling fact; even if Nick doesn't publicly praise his dad often, the two seem to have a decent relationship today.
Who Is Nick Cannon's Mom?
Nick Cannon's mom stays out of the public eye but is minimally on good terms with her son
While Nick's dad works for him, worked on a song with him, and even wrote a book that he says is about his son's life, Beth Hackett is less active in the public sphere.
Today, she goes by Beth Gardner, seemingly because she was eventually married. Few details are known about Beth's life, apart from the fact that she is reportedly a singer, actress, and accountant.
However, she did make an appearance in the song that Nick had his dad's help on; the song had pro-life messages and included Nick's reflections on his mom nearly ending her pregnancy as a teenager.
At the end of the music video for the song, Nick hugs his mom and raps about how he loves her. Despite his parents' less-than-average involvement in his life, it doesn't seem as if Nick holds a grudge.
