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Nick Cannon's Dating History: From Kim Kardashian to Mariah Carey

Nick Cannon was previously married to Mariah Carey from 2008 to 2016. Most recently, he welcomed his 12th child with model Alyssa Scott in December 2022

Enos Solomon/FilmMagic ; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Enos Solomon/FilmMagic ; Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

Nick Cannon is known for his blended family.

The Masked Singer host has 12 children, including twins Monroe and Moroccan with ex-wife Mariah Carey. He shares sons Rise Messiah and Golden "Sagon," as well as daughter Powerful Queen with model Brittany Bell. He is also father to daughter Beautiful Zeppelin and twins Zion and Zillion, whom he had with former radio personality Abby De La Rosa. He welcomed son Legendary Love with model Bre Tiesi and daughter Onyx Ice Cole with photographer LaNisha Cole.

Though the rapper has previously said he has "failed miserably" so many times at monogamy and relationships," Cannon hasn't ruled out another trip down the aisle.

"I'm a hopeless romantic at the end of the day, so I love the concept, I love the ceremony of it," he said in 2022. "God ain't done with me. We're gonna figure it out."

But even before his fatherhood journey began, Cannon had his fair share of high-profile relationships, including flings with Kim Kardashian and Christina Milian.

Here's a look back at Nick Cannon's dating history.

Christina Milian

Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Cannon's first public relationship was with singer and actress Christina Milian, whom he met on the set of their 2003 romantic comedy, Love Don't Cost a Thing — a remake of 1987's Can't Buy Me Love. Cannon played the nerdy Alvin, who bribed popular girl Paris (Milian) into dating him for two weeks in exchange for free car repairs.

"I started dating Christina Milian from that movie," Cannon told International Business Times in 2018. "We didn't start dating until the very end of the movie, so it was actually cool because it allowed the chemistry to actually be real and really work."

In 2005, he called her his "best friend," adding, "I care for her and have great respect for her." However, the couple broke up later that year. Though neither Cannon nor Milian commented on the split at the time, fans had long suspected that Cannon cheated on her after the release of her 2006 breakup anthem "Gonna Tell Everybody." In 2019, Milian revealed on E! News' podcast Just The Sip she had found incriminating text messages on his phone.

"I was reading for like a month," she said. "I was reading messages."

Shortly after Milian's 2019 interview, the Wild 'n Out host claimed he didn't actually do anything wrong. "I wasn't cheating. You got to be in a relationship to cheat," Cannon explained during a radio appearance, per E! Online. "If I am careless enough to allow myself to get caught, then that means I wanted to get caught. The word is 'careless.' You know what careless means? 'I could care less.' I was at an age where I didn't care."

Kim Kardashian

M. Caulfield/WireImage
M. Caulfield/WireImage

Cannon first met Kim Kardashian while she was working as a stylist on Moesha. At the time, the future Keeping Up with the Kardashians star was still dating Ray J — but after their 2006 split, Cannon pursued her. The couple ultimately dated from late 2006 to 2007. "I was really into her, I was vibing," he said in a 2021 appearance on Drink Champs. "She broke my heart."

There aren't any hard feelings between the two, though. "She's a great girl!" Cannon said in 2014. "Her and her family are some of the most incredible people I've ever met in my life."

Selita Ebanks

Yasky/WireImage
Yasky/WireImage

Cannon and Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks had known each other for years before they ran into each other at a Super Bowl party in Miami in January 2007. But it wasn't always a picture-perfect relationship; from there, Ebanks had to "clean up" Cannon's act.

"Selita's amazing," he told PEOPLE at the Vanity Fair Oscar party the next month. "She changed me — I'm no longer a player. She changed everything."

Cannon proposed to the model in May 2007 after the two attended the Met Gala. The actor took her to Times Square in a Rolls Royce and proposed with a 12-carat diamond ring in front of a jumbotron reading, "Selita will you marry me?"

But after Cannon told PEOPLE in August that he was going to "take it slow" with their engagement, the couple broke up in October of that year.

"Selita and Nick are taking a break to focus on their careers but still very much love each other and remain the best of friends," Ebanks' rep said at the time.

Cannon confirmed the latter in December 2007, telling PEOPLE that he was "still cool" with the model.

Mariah Carey

Christopher Polk/Getty
Christopher Polk/Getty

Cannon first met future wife Mariah Carey at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, where Cannon presented Carey with the award for choice music R&B artist. But before they even stepped on stage, the two had a brief behind-the-scenes encounter that changed everything.

"She had heard me speaking all of these positive, secret little nothings about her in interviews, and I remember seeing her backstage … and she stops right in front of me," he said on TV One's Uncensored in 2014. "She's like, 'I heard all those nice things you been saying about me.' I was like, 'They're true! Just give me an opportunity to make them come true!' And she smiled, and they floated her off."

But the pair didn't spark dating rumors until 2008, when Carey cast Cannon as the love interest in her "Bye Bye" music video. In April of that year, Carey's rep denied the two were dating; however, that same month, the couple were spotted getting cozy in Las Vegas.

After dating for less than two months, Cannon and Carey got married in a surprise wedding in April 2008. The two held a sunset ceremony at Carey's Bahamian estate.

"We really do feel we are soul mates," Carey told PEOPLE at the time. "I never felt a love like this was in the cards for me."

Carey later revealed that Cannon had proposed to her twice — once with a candy ring pop that had a 17-carat diamond engagement ring hidden inside and a second time on a romantic helicopter ride.

After months of speculation, the two confirmed they were expecting twins in October 2010. Carey gave birth to twins Moroccan Scott and Monroe Cannon on April 30, 2011 — the same day as their third wedding anniversary. Monroe's name paid homage to Marilyn Monroe, one of Carey's inspirations, while Moroccan's name was inspired by the Moroccan-style décor in Carey's New York City apartment.

In December 2014, Cannon confirmed that he and Carey had separated. Prior to confirming their split, he told PEOPLE that he was trying to "stay positive" and get through life "one day at a time." Their divorce was finalized in November 2016.

The couple continue to co-parent their twins, taking their children to the 2017 Kids Choice Awards and the Kidspace Children's Museum in 2018. Cannon has since called Carey his "fantasy love," adding that he didn't think he would get married again.

"I did my best in this space, and now I feel like there's a new journey in my life," he said in 2022. "I'm not going to backtrack and put myself in that situation again because it doesn't get better than that."

Jessica White

Johnny Nunez/WireImage
Johnny Nunez/WireImage

After his divorce, the Masked Singer host was linked to Sports Illustrated model Jessica White.

"Nick was one of my best friends," White said in a 2016 interview. "Nick and I will always be close no matter what. He has a beautiful heart, it's not even about his looks, he has a good heart."

Though they reportedly split, the pair have remained close — White posed naked alongside Cannon for the cover of his 2022 mixtape Raw N B: The Explicit Tape. Later that year, Cannon and White reportedly partied together in New York City over Halloween weekend.

Cannon spoke about his relationship with White on a May 2023 episode of The Jason Lee Podcast. The Daily Cannon host called his ex "beautiful" and "my muse," even admitting that he's "still in love" with her.

He also spoke about White's 2020 miscarriage, suggesting that she didn't want to talk about the loss publicly because "she felt like there was a narrative" of "negativity" in the media about the mothers of his children.

"I take full accountability. I want her to share her true and honest story at any time," he said. "These women will tell their story when their time, when they're ready to do it. I want that. I don't want to ever speak for any of them because I know they can speak for themselves. Even in times of pain, even in times of darkness, I'm leaning on them."

Brittany Bell

David Livingston/Getty
David Livingston/Getty

Cannon and model Brittany Bell reportedly met in 2015. The on-again-off-again pair share three children together: son Golden "Sagon" Cannon, born in February 2017; Powerful Queen Cannon, born in December 2020; and Rise Messiah Cannon, born in September 2022.

After welcoming baby Rise, Cannon praised the former Miss Guam for being "the rock and foundation of [his] Fatherhood journey."

"She has taught me so much about parenting, psychology, spirituality, love and just life in general," he wrote on Instagram. "She didn't want a baby shower and needed NOTHING! All she desired was PRAYER from her authentic Loved Ones!"

The two spend plenty of time together while raising their children, including major milestones and philanthropic work as a family.

Abby De La Rosa

Amanda Edwards/Getty Abby De La Rosa
Amanda Edwards/Getty Abby De La Rosa

Though it's not known when Cannon and former DJ Abby De La Rosa first met, the two share three children: Cannon's second set of twins, Zion Mixolydian Cannon and Zillion Heir Cannon, born in June 2021, and Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, born in November 2022.

De La Rosa has been candid about her and Cannon's "open relationship." Although she has referred to the Masked Singer host as her "primary partner," she's also said, "I just know in my heart of hearts that this isn't my forever person."

On a 2022 podcast appearance, she said: "I think I see monogamy for myself down the line, and this won't get me there. But I love where I'm at, at this very moment. It's just not my forever."

In June 2022, she said she has a close relationship with one of the other women whom Cannon has children with. Although she did not specify who, she said the two frequently get coffee or dinner together.

"She's a beautiful human being and I wish her nothing but the best in this forever journey we're a part of," De La Rosa said. "The rest of the women I don't know and never met, but I wish them all the best as well."

Cannon and the DJ frequently spend time parenting their three children together, including posing for Christmas card photos and taking them on special holiday outings.

Alyssa Scott

Alyssa Scott Instagram
Alyssa Scott Instagram

Cannon likely met model Alyssa Scott when she appeared on Wild 'n Out in 2019. They have two children: son Zen S. Cannon, who died in December 2021 at just 5 months old, and daughter Halo Marie Cannon, born in December 2022.

In December 2021, the talk show host shared that Zen died from brain cancer, revealing that shortly after his birth, doctors discovered a fluid buildup inside his head and a malignant tumor that required brain surgery. Zen's health worsened around Thanksgiving 2021 as the "tumor began to grow a lot faster."

"We were faithful and hopeful for that time," Cannon said on The Nick Cannon Show. "We carried on, he was still just playing with his brothers and sisters, I embraced every moment."

In June 2022, on what would have been Zen's first birthday, Cannon and Scott announced that they had started a foundation supporting "hope, grief care and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need" in his honor. "June 23rd will forever be a day of celebration," Cannon wrote. "A beautiful lighting ceremony to honor the life of an Angel. Zen's birth has now transformed into 'Zen's Light.' "

In November, Cannon and Scott announced that they were expecting their second baby together with a series of steamy maternity photos. In one of the snaps, Cannon kissed Scott's bare bump in a sudsy bathtub as she wore nothing but a towel wrapping up her hair.

The couple made sure to pay tribute to Zen when his little sister, Halo Marie, was born later that year.

"December 14, 2022. Our lives are forever changed ❤️," Scott wrote on Instagram. "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 every day. I will hold onto this memory forever."

She added: "I will remember the sound of Nick's 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."

Bre Tiesi

Bre Tiesi Instagram
Bre Tiesi Instagram

Cannon first met model and real estate agent Bre Tiesi when she appeared on Wild 'n Out over 10 years ago. Since then, the two have shared an "on-and-off" relationship, according to Tiesi. The couple took a break while Tiesi was married to former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel; the two married in a private ceremony in March 2018, and their divorce was finalized in November 2021.

Tiesi gave birth to her and Cannon's first child, Legendary Love Cannon, on June 28, 2022, in an "all-natural" home birth. She's been open about why she chose Cannon to be her son's father, saying they share "a beautiful relationship [where] everything is so supportive and positive."

"I just respect and love who he is so much as a person," she told E! Online's Daily Pop in March 2022. "I thought about, 'Do I want my son to be this person? Look at your characteristics, look at your personality, look at how you treat people.' "

Tiesi has also publicly praised Cannon — in December 2022, she wrote that Cannon "always shows up" for their son. "Always present, happy, consistent, loving parent and an even better person!" she added. "We love u!"

LaNisha Cole

LaNisha Cole Instagram
LaNisha Cole Instagram

Cannon and photographer LaNisha Cole welcomed their first child, daughter Onyx Ice Cole Cannon, on Sept. 14, 2022. The two hadn't spoken publicly about the pregnancy, so Onyx's birth announcement surprised fans.

The TV host is very protective of Cole. After welcoming Onyx, the All That alum addressed criticism of his rapidly growing family.

"As we all know, I am not easily triggered and have quite tough skin and have always been an open book but not everyone in my family has that same level of strength," he wrote on Instagram. "So I pray and ask others to please project all criticism and cynicism towards ME and not the loving and precious Mothers of my children."

He added: Cole "is one of the most guileless, peaceful and non-confrontational kind souls I've ever witnessed, and only deserves to revel in this moment of blissful joy of motherhood."

Cole has since said that co-parenting with Cannon is a "breeze" since the two see "eye to eye."

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