Nick Cannon dismissed the term “co-parenting” during a recent episode of his podcast Nick Cannon @ Night while reflecting on his relationships with the mothers of his 12 children.
The 44-year-old entertainer and host of The Masked Singer responded to a fan question by saying he’s never been comfortable with the label.
“I’ve always kind of had an issue with that term,” Cannon said, explaining that he views parenting as a shared responsibility regardless of whether the parents are romantically involved.
“When you start throwing labels on things, I think it does more harm than help and can get very dangerous, because then everybody else has a preconceived notion of what you’re doing,” he said, according to People.
Nick Cannon admitted he’s still working on getting things right.
“I haven’t figured it out yet. I haven’t gotten it all the way right. But also to your point, if I just step into every situation with respect and compassion and individuality. That’s the other thing I always do with anyone I’m involved with in my life.”
He emphasized that he avoids lumping the mothers of his children into a single category.
“I don’t bunch them together. I really try my hardest not to be like, ‘Oh yeah, my baby mamas,’ you know, unless I’m telling a joke or something like that, but no one wants to be grouped into anything,” he said. “Everyone wants to be treated like an individual with respect and compassion.”
Cannon became a father in 2011 when he and then-wife Mariah Carey welcomed twins Moroccan and Monroe. The couple separated in 2014 after six years of marriage.
Since then, Cannon has fathered 10 more children with five other women. His children include Golden, Powerful, Zion, Zillion, Zen, Legendary, Onyx, Rise, Beautiful and Halo.
His son Zen died at five months old in 2021 following a battle with brain cancer.