With the entertainer proudly acknowledging his incredibly large brood recently, it may come as no surprise that Nick Cannon just welcomed a surprise 9th child! The 41-year-old TV host took to his Instagram on September 15 to share the exciting news of welcoming his first child, daughter Onyx, with LaNisha Cole.
“I vow to protect, provide, guide and love this child to the best of my abilities,” Nick wrote alongside a photo of the himself, LaNisha and Onyx at the hospital. “I promise to love this little girl with all my heart, regardless what anyone says. I’ve given up on attempting to define myself for the world or society but instead I’m doing the work to heal and grow into the infinite Being God ordained me to be.”
The jaw-dropping announcement comes as Nick is expecting two more babies, which will be his 10th and 11th kids with six different women, which has raised eyebrows among critics. In an appearance on The Breakfast Club, the Wild ‘N Out star explained his views on marriage and defended why he’s had children with so many different women. “Just the idea that a man should have one woman, we shouldn’t have anything. I have no ownership over this person. If we’re really talking about how we coexist and how we populate, it’s about what exchange can we create together? I’ve never really subscribed to that mentality,” he said.
While Nick appears to be enjoying his role as father and treating his myriad of offspring with love and respect, let’s take a closer look at the women he calls his baby mamas, below.
LaNisha Cole
LaNisha refers to herself as a former model and photographer on her Instagram bio and on her website, she says she is “a mostly self-taught photog, a passion that was sparked through studying many of the talented directors/photographers she’s had the pleasure of working with throughout her 15+ year career. Photographing the artists, musicians, actors and models around her gave her the opportunity to build her portfolio and transition to life on the other side of the camera.”
As a model, she “worked for eight seasons as a “Price Is Right” alongside hosts Bob Barker and Drew Carey,” according to her website bio. Her talents also landed her on Deal or No Deal and the SYFY channel original series Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. She was also featured in music videos such as “Frontin’” by Pharrell Williams, “Break You Off” by The Roots, and “Last Time” by Trey Songz.
Mariah Carey
Nick recently admitted he will always have a special place in his heart for his ex-wife Mariah Carey. “It was literally like a fairytale with Mariah so I would rather it just be that way and I appreciate that fantasy because if I try to go back and it wasn’t the same, I’d be like, ‘Damn, I messed it up,’” he said on The Hottee Talk Show Podcast in July. “But, if I had the opportunity, if it could be the way it was, I’m there.”
The actor and the iconic singer were married from 2008 until 2016, making Mariah his only wife so far. The former couple share 11-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe. “I guess because I’m a true romantic, I’m a true believer in love and I allow the capsules of love to be where they lie,” he added about Mariah on the podcast. “I’m not a timeline dude. I will never have a love like I did with Mariah.”
Brie Tiesi
The former wife of football star Johnny Manziel, Bre Tiesi welcomed her first child with Nick, making it his eighth child, on June 28. The pair named their daughter Legendary Love. Back in January, Nick was spotted celebrating with Brie at her baby shower/gender reveal party causing fans to speculate that the TV host was expecting another child. The big bash went down in Malibu, just one month after Nick revealed the death of his five-month-old son Zen (more on that later).
Brittany Bell
Taking to his Instagram on Wednesday, August 24, Nick shared a gorgeous maternity video/photo shoot with his pregnant partner, model Brittany Bell, as they are expecting another child together. He also shares a son, Golden, 4, and daughter, Powerful, 1, with Brittany, who has had an on-again/off-again relationship with the entertainer since 2014. When Powerful was born, Brittany shared a photo of the family, writing, “All I can say is that Nick was my rock through the most intense yet empowering natural water birth. It was nothing but POWERFUL. Merry Christmas!!!! THANK YOU GOD.”
Abby De La Rosa
In June, Abby De La Rosa announced that she’d given birth to Nick’s twin boys Zion and Zillion. Her Instagram bio reveals that she is a “broadcast professional” and “International DJ.” She even created Club Tummy, which is “an incredible place where babies can feel the vibration & frequencies through music from around the world,” according to the company’s Instagram bio.
Alyssa Scott
Alyssa Scott penned an emotional message about her late son Zen, whom she shared with ex Nick Cannon, on the 1 year anniversary of his brain tumor diagnosis. The model took to her Instagram on Friday, August 12 to share her feelings about the loss of the five-month-old baby, who passed away from his cancer battle in December 2021. “My body feels it. I’ve been on the verge of tears the last few days. Trying to keep a forward momentum,” Alyssa wrote alongside a photo of Zen wrapped in a blanket. “I miss my boy.”
Nick first revealed Zen had died during the Dec. 7 episode of The Nick Cannon Show, breaking down in tears as he said he was able to be with Zen on his final day. The entertainer also got a tattoo in tribute of Zen four days after Zen succumbed to his cancer battle. Around the same time, Alyssa took to her Instagram to post a tribute, writing, “You kept me going. We were a team, both determined to see it through. It feels unbearable running without you now. It has been an honor and privilege being your mommy…I will love you for eternity.”