Nick Cannon took to his daytime talk show to address rumors and reports that had been swirling all weekend.
Social media was abuzz Sunday afternoon with the news that the host and actor was expecting his 8th child with model Bre Tiesi, who worked alongside Cannon on his MTV Hip-Hop comedy improv show, Wild-N-Out.
While hosting Nick Cannon on Monday, the host confirmed that he and Tiesi are indeed expecting a baby boy, and opened up on his feelings about it amid his recent loss.
Sharing a photo from their gender reveal, Cannon noted how odd it was to reveal Tiesi as “the next mother” of his child, noting the immense, equal love he shares for each of his eight children.
“I try to always operate on a high frequency, but as much as I try to ignore some of the negative or lower frequency things, I’m not impervious to reading what some people say about me,” he said, noting that he is affected by criticism calling him careless and irresponsible for creating so many children in such quick succession.
“This whole process has been very difficult for me. I’ve known about Bre’s pregnancy for a while now, since before my youngest son Zen passed in December,” he revealed. “This was always in the back of my mind. When is the right time? How do I share this? We didn’t expect Zen to pass away.”
“It kept me up at night. I always talk about the guilt that I feel in losing Zen, and how to deal with this with my other children,” he said, thanking his supporters. “I wanted to definitely respect the grieving process with Alyssa, and Bre was respectful enough to hold off making her announcements.”
Cannon insisted that the announcement was not planned for this moment, though his hand was forced due to the news leaking. But ultimately, he welcomes the opportunity to be open and share his joy.
“I’m taking it one day at a time, but at the end of the day, when a life comes into this world, it’s a celebration, and I’m excited. I’m happy,” he said.
For her part, the mother of Cannon’s late son Zen, Alyssa Scott, says she is at peace during this time.
“It is painful having my son be a part of conversations that aren’t in alignment with his light and legacy,” she shared in a post to her Instagram stories. “It isn’t something I chose for him or myself. It’s important for me to let you all know I am centered, I am at peace.”