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Monogamy seems to be a difficult topic for Nick Cannon. The father of seven recently made headlines this week for calling marriage a “Euro-centric concept” during an interview with The Breakfast Club on August 9.
“The idea that you’re supposed to have this one person for the rest of your life,” Cannon explained his unorthodox views on marriage. The idea that a man should have one woman….we shouldn’t have anything. I have no ownership over this person.”
The Love Don’t Cost A Thing actor argued that the institution of marriage is completely outdated drawing reference to the dowry system— the practice of trading a woman into marriage in exchange for money or property that was popularized in England between the 12th and 18th centuries.
“One father gave another man his daughter for land,” Cannon said. “So when you really get to that concept, it’s like, we gotta change this up.”
“I don’t want ownership over anybody,” he continued. “I don’t have ownership over any of the mothers. We create families in the sense that we created a beautiful entity.”
The former Nickelodeon star has caught flack from critics who say he has too many children.
Cannon has 10-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan, with ex-wife and megastar Mariah Carey. He shares two children — son Golden, 4, and 8-month-old daughter Powerful Queen Cannon — with Miss Guam 2014 pageant winner Brittany Bell.
Cannon then revealed the birth of his twin boys Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir with DJ Abby De La Rosa on June 14 and nine days later welcomed his seventh child a baby boy Zen in June with model Alyssa Scott.
The 40-year-old star explained that he believes the mother of his children had the power to decide whether or not they wanted to have children with him, despite his polyamorous lifestyle.
“Those women, and all women, are the ones that open themselves up and say, ‘I would like to allow this man into my world and I will birth this child,’” the California native insisted. “It ain’t my decision. I’m just following suit.”
Even with his demanding schedule, the Power 106 FM radio host added that he manages to be extremely present in all of his kid’s lives.
“For every single one of my kids, I’m at every basketball game, I’m at every martial arts practice,” he explained. “People don’t understand how I do it, but my children are my priority.”
A few other stars have been slammed for having multiple kids over the years.
Rapper NBA YoungBoy was hit with backlash by fans for leaving his baby-mamas high and dry amongst his various run-ins with the law. The star is rumored to have fathered several children which include Kentrell Jr. whom he shares with Yaya Mayweather, the daughter of boxing icon Floyd Mayweather and Kodi Capri, a daughter whom the rapper welcomed with Houston based actress Drea Symone in 2020.
Lil Wayne’s baby-mama drama has been at the forefront of his career since he stepped onto the hip-hop scene in the late 90s. The “A Mili” artist has four children: Reginae Carter, Dwayne Michael Carter III, Cameron Carter, and Neal Carter. Actress and musician Reginae Carter, 22, is the daughter of Lil Wayne and TV personality Toya Johnson. Wayne was married to Toya from 2004 to 2006, although R&B singer Nivea, whom the Cash Money alum shares 11-year-old Neal with, recently revealed that she was with the star during the time of their relationship.
And it would be remiss to leave out rapper Future, and his seven children with six women.
This is a lot to unpack here! What do you think of Nick’s view on marriage?
