Nick Cannon Details Insecurities in Relationship With Ex-Wife Mariah Carey

Nick Cannon had a different vision of love than Mariah Carey.

The Wild ‘n Out host recently looked back on his eight-year marriage with the “We Belong Together” singer and reflected on the “internalized insecurities” he faced. Namely questioning who he was outside of the relationship.

“I got married in my 20s to the biggest star in the world,” Nick said on the Oct. 24 episode of the Ray Daniels Presents podcast. “I would lay up at night thinking, ‘Is this who I am? Am I Mariah’s man? Is that what my life’s supposed to be?’”  

The 44-year-old continued, “There’s nothing wrong with it. And I got really comfortable in it. She got islands, I’m waking up at noon and I’m being served steaks on a platter.”

Nick, who wed Mariah in 2008, admitted that he lost his “hustler” spirit and things really were put into perspective with the couple welcomed their now 13-year-old twins Monroe Cannon and Moroccan Cannon.

“Then when you have children and the hierarchy of man s--t  is like ‘Wait, I’m carrying the purse, the diaper bag and I’m standing on the corner waiting,’” he explained. “She’s rocking being all the alpha that she is.”

Nick further expressed how he believed that Mariah lived in her own world and deserved someone who would be the support, but he also saw himself as a main character.

“She deserved it,” he said about the type of partner an independent woman like Mariah should have. “And the love kept me there because I was like, ‘You need somebody. You need a support system. You need somebody that don’t want you for your money. You need somebody that’s sincere. You need somebody that’s ready to build a family, raise some amazing kids together. And that was my goal. But then there was something constantly in me like...”

And ultimately, the insecurities bled into his professional life as Nick began to question whether his role as a chairman at Nickelodeon and at Island Def Jam were because of his wife’s connections.

“I was wearing suits everyday cause I’m trying to prove that I’m a man,” the All That alum quipped. “The inner adolescent in me, I’m trying to prove that I’m a man because I’m standing next to a woman.”

In the end, Nick—who has been public with his decades-long battle with Lupus—says that his health battle put things into perspective when he realized, “I have so much to do.”

As a result, he joked, “That’s probably why I have 12 kids now.”

Since his 2016 split from Mariah, The Masked Singer host has welcomed children Golden, 7, Rise, 2 and Powerful, 3, whom he shares with Brittaney Bell. Twins Zion Mixolydian, Zillion Heir, 3, and Beautiful Zeppelin, 23-months, with Abby De La Rosa. He is also dad to Legendary, 2, with Selling Sunset’s Bre Tiesi. Daughter Onyx Cole, 2, whom he shares with LaNisha Cole as well as Halo Marie, 23-months, and late son Zen with Alyssa Scott.

Even though his relationship with Mariah ended, Nick has previously suggested she’s the one that got away.

“We belong together,” Nick joked to E! News in August when asked if he would get back with his ex-wife. “Yes, absolutely. Be stupid if I wouldn’t.”  

“She don’t want me.”

Keep reading for more of Nick’s family…

Mariah Carey gave birth to her and Nick's twins on April 30, 2011. The two announced their split in 2015 after six years of marriage and finalized their divorce a year later.

Beauty queen Brittany Bell gave birth to her and Nick's first child together, a boy, on Feb. 21, 2017.

Brittany and Nick welcomed their second baby together, a girl, in December 2020.

DJ Abby De La Rosa gave birth to her and Nick's twin boys on June 14, 2021.

Model Alyssa Scott welcomed a baby boy with Nick on June 23, 2021. 

However, just five months after the arrival of their son, Nick shared the devastating news that Zen had passed away from brain cancer. "Alyssa was just the strongest woman I have ever seen," he said on the Dec. 7 episode of The Nick Cannon Show. "Never had an argument, never was angry. She was emotional when she needed to be but was always the best mom and continues to be the best mom possible. So I've got to say thank you to my entire family but specifically to Alyssa."

"You never know what someone is going through," he added. "Hug your family. Kiss somebody. Tell them you love them."

Model Bre Tiesi welcomed her first child with Nick on June 28, 2022. The baby boy weighed 8 pounds and 10 ounces at birth.

"I did it. An all natural unmedicated home birth," Bre shared in a July 2022 Instagram post. "This was the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience. I can't thank my team enough for delivering my son safely."

Nick and model LaNisha Cole welcomed a daughter on Sept. 14, 2022. 

Brittany gave birth to her third child with Nick on Sept. 23, 2022.

Abby gave birth to a baby girl, her third child with Nick, in November 2022.

Alyssa gave birth to her and Nick's daughter on Dec. 14, 2022.

The model shared an Instagram video showing the Wild 'n Out star helping to deliver their baby. "Our lives are forever changed," she wrote. "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

She continued, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying 'it's a girl' and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face. I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.