In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, father-of-12, Nick Cannon, said he has had enough of being labeled as a “deadbeat dad” and made out as a villain for having several children with six different mothers, HuffPost reported.
The actor, rapper, and TV host shares twins with singer and ex-wife, Mariah Carey. He also equally shares six children with model, Brittany Bell, and ex-radio host, Abby De La Rosa. He shares another son with model, Bre Tiesi, and a daughter with model, LaNisha Cole. In 2021, model, Alyssa Scott, gave birth to his seventh child, Zen, sadly, the baby passed away some months later. However, Scott and Cannon welcomed their second child, a girl, last year.
“Right now the narrative is, ‘He has a bunch of kids.’ But I’m really at a place now where I don’t care what people know. I’d rather just operate. It’s more about really being a good person instead of telling people you’re a good person,” Cannon said.
The 42-year-old also shut down rumors about him not being there for all his children. “I hear all the time: ‘You can’t be present for all those children.’ So, therefore, I get this deadbeat dad title,” he said.
The “Drumline” actor said all his kids are well-taken care of as he makes around $100 million annually. He told the news outlet that featuring on “The Masked Singer” fetches him more than $20 million, adding that he also earns income from “The Daily Cannon” radio program, two sports bars, as well as other endeavors.
Despite the money he claims to be raking in, Cannon said being there for your children is the most important aspect of parenthood. “It’s not about what I do for you or what I say to you, it’s about how you feel when I’m with you,” he said. “If you feel loved when you see your dad, that’s what’s gonna resonate.”