In a startlingly candid revelation, television host and rapper Nick Cannon has pinpointed his painful divorce from global superstar Mariah Carey as the source of significant emotional trauma, which he admits has directly influenced his decision to father a large number of children.
The 43-year-old made these deeply personal admissions during a session on the Language of Love podcast with Dr. Laura Berman. Cannon described the dissolution of his marriage to Carey not as a simple breakup, but as a catastrophic event that reshaped his entire worldview.
The Aftermath of a 'Cataclysmic' Split
Cannon didn't hold back when describing the emotional impact of the divorce, which was finalised in 2016. He framed it as a foundational trauma that sent shockwaves through his life. "When you talk about trauma, that one’s probably the whopper," he confessed to Dr. Berman, highlighting the profound sense of loss and failure he experienced.
He elaborated that the end of his marriage felt like a personal apocalypse, a complete dismantling of the family unit he had built. This experience, he suggested, left a void he has since been trying to fill.
Building a New Legacy
The conversation took a poignant turn as Cannon connected this past pain to his present reality. He is now a father to twelve children from six different relationships. Cannon framed this not as a series of casual flings, but as a conscious, albeit complex, effort to create the vast, loving family network he felt was lost.
"My ego had me thinking, ‘I can make a bunch of families so I’ll never have no loss again,’" he stated, offering a rare glimpse into the psychological driver behind his life choices. He views his children as his greatest legacy, a positive outcome born from a period of intense personal suffering.
A Ongoing Journey with Mental Health
Cannon also touched upon his well-documented struggles with mental health, including his diagnosis with lupus, an autoimmune disease. He acknowledged that his mental and physical health are deeply intertwined and that managing his well-being is a constant, active process.
His openness continues a trend of the media personality speaking out about his challenges, helping to destigmatise discussions around mental health, particularly for men in the public eye.
