Nick Cannon's children are the joy of his life.

"Every day I just wake up excited as a father," he told PEOPLE in May 2022. "I'm so excited about all my kids. Constantly, from every aspect of it. From them getting citizen of the month awards in the first grade to the birth of the new ones."

Cannon is a proud father of 12. He shares twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon and Rise Messiah Cannon and daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; and daughter Onyx Ice Cole with LaNisha Cole. Cannon is father to two children with Alyssa Scott — son Zen, who died at five months old in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, and daughter Halo Marie Cannon born on Dec. 14, 2022.

While Cannon loves his big family, he's opened up about the challenges of being a father of multiple children.

"Being a father of multiple kids, it's always the biggest guilt on me is that I don't get to spend enough time with all my children," Cannon said during a December 2022 episode of The Checkup with Dr. Agus on Paramount+. "One 'cause I'm constantly working and two because I'm just spread thin."

Plus, having so many kids, with so many moms, can lead to confusion. In May 2023, Cannon admitted that he mixed up his kids' mom's Mother's Day cards on an episode of The Daily Cannon.

He recalled writing "handwritten messages from the heart," but accidentally delivered them to the wrong women. "See if I would just got some generic s--- that everybody else got, that wouldn't have happened," he said.

Still, having more kids isn't off the table. "God decides when we're done, but I believe I definitely got my hands full," Cannon told Entertainment Tonight in February 2023. "And I'm so focused. I'm locked in. But when I'm 85, you never know. I might."

Here's everything to know about Nick Cannon's 12 kids.

Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, 12

Cannon and then-wife Carey welcomed twins, son Moroccan Scott and daughter Monroe, on April 30, 2011, in Los Angeles.

While the couple split in 2014 after six years of marriage, they continue to spend time as a family, from coordinating outfits at the Kids Choice Awards to spending Christmas in Aspen together.

"Whenever we can show that — even if we're not together, [that] we love each other unconditionally — and become that fine example to our children, they'll grow up to be good human beings, hopefully," Cannon told PEOPLE.

While the former couple remains amicable, they don't always see eye-to-eye on how to parent their little ones. Cannon revealed on his talk show that he went against Carey's wishes and snuck the twins cellphones for their 10th birthday.

"I was all for it but Mariah was like, 'Uh huh they aren't going to be Googling us, learning about all their new brothers and sisters, no we aren't playing,' " he said, adding with a laugh, "Mariah is still mad at me [for doing it anyway] to this day."

In the summer of 2021, Monroe made her modeling debut in childrenswear brand OshKosh B'Gosh's back-to-school campaign where she played the younger version of her mom. Cannon shared the clip on his page, writing in the caption, "Proud Poppa! 🙏🏾❤️."

Cannon credits his oldest daughter Monroe with helping him through difficult times, like the loss of his son Zen. "My daughter, really, she's so in tune and in line and wise beyond her years," he told PEOPLE. "I got a lot of therapists, but she's probably my best therapist."

He added, "She keeps me in check. She's so pure and honest. [...] She's my oldest child. Even though they're twins, she came out first and she lets everybody know it. She's helped me keep it strong."

Golden Sagon Cannon, 6

The television host welcomed son Golden Sagon with Bell on Feb. 21, 2017.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the morning! No matter how hard the world may hit you, God always reminds us of our purpose! #TrueHappiness," the proud dad wrote on Instagram in 2017 to announce the news of Golden's birth. "Welcome to Earth Son!" he added in the since-deleted post.

When he was 5 years old, Bell shared a cute picture on her Instagram Story of Golden on his first day of second grade.

"My baby is in 2nd grade!!! 5 years old loving school 🥰," Bell captioned a photo of him smiling while holding up a sign that noted his age, grade, the name of his teacher and what he wants to be when he grows up. According to the sign, Golden dreams of being a scientist.

For his sixth birthday in February 2023, Cannon and Bell threw Golden a gamer-themed birthday party at an arcade in Los Angeles. Per tradition, the family wore matching T-shirts at the soiree.

"Happy 6th birthday my son! The Golden child!" Cannon wrote on Instagram alongside a few party pics.

In August 2023, Cannon shared a cute video on Instagram of the father-son duo practicing boxing.

"I'm Golden Cannon and I can do anything!" Golden says before he and Cannon begin sparring.

In the end, Golden says, "I am a champion and I can do anything!" before throwing his boxing glove to the ground in excitement.

Powerful Queen Cannon, 3

Golden's little sister Powerful Queen (nicknamed "Pow") arrived at home via natural water birth on Dec. 23, 2020.

"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 ♥️," Bell wrote while announcing their little one's arrival.

Cannon and the former Miss Arizona U.S.A. celebrated Powerful Queen's first birthday together with a Christmas-themed photo shoot, in which the parents cuddled up beside their little one in front of a decked-out tree.

In April 2022, the family of four dressed in their pastel finest for an Easter photo shoot, featuring Cannon in a full Easter Bunny costume.

In August 2023, Bell marked Golden's first day of 3rd grade and Powerful's first day of pre-kindergarten with an Instagram post. She shared one snap of herself standing between her two older kids as well as other photos of the kids holding up chalkboards that denoted which grade they were going into, their aspirations and some of their favorite things.

Zion Mixolydian & Zillion Heir Cannon, 2

On June 14, 2021, model and DJ De La Rosa welcomed twin boys Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir Cannon.

On their first Halloween, the twin boys joined Cannon's tradition of twinning with his little ones: They dressed up as the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Men from Ghostbusters alongside their parents.

The twins celebrated their first birthdays at the happiest place on earth — Disneyland! "I was told on my 1st birthday I got so excited that I peed all over my birthday cake and I guess the Apple doesn't fall far from the tree because soon as Zion saw Mickey Mouse he just let loose all over me. It's actually happening in this photo!! Piss everywhere! LOL," Cannon captioned a shot of the family of four, featuring a wet stain on his shirt.

Alongside the birthday tribute to his sons, Cannon shouted out De La Rosa, calling her "Super Woman." He continued, "I will make it my mission to let the boys know how honored and privileged they are to have such an amazing, loving, strong, resilient and magnificent Mother!"

Shortly after turning 1, the twins were learning to walk, and their DJ mom showed off their progress on her Instagram in June 2022. Two months later, the twins went from walking to swimming with their first lesson in the pool.

De La Rosa posted a photo on her Instagram Story, showing Cannon holding one of the twins. "The boys started their first day of swim lessons. Lifeguard daddy was on duty," she wrote. In other posts, both the boys could be seen in the water with an instructor as their parents looked on.

Zen Cannon

Just nine days after the arrival of twins Zion and Zillion, Cannon welcomed another son, Zen, on June 23, 2021, with model Alyssa Scott.

That August, Zen was diagnosed with high-grade glioma, a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Baby Zen died of brain cancer in December 2021. He was 5 months old.

"We had a short time with a true angel," Cannon told PEOPLE of his son's death. "My heart is shattered. I wish I could have done more, spent more time with him, taken more pictures. I wish I could have hugged him longer."

"Having to explain that to 10-year-olds [Moroccan and Monroe] and a 4-year-old [Golden] is pretty intense," he told PEOPLE about telling his children about Zen's death. "But their understanding and them being there for me probably helped me keep it together as well as really deal with it. Specifically, even, Roc and Roe. They were there for the entire journey."

To mark what would have been Zen's first birthday, Scott and Cannon announced a foundation in his honor, Zen's Light, whose mission "is to foster global excellence in hope, grief care and pediatric healthcare for families and children in need."

In December 2022, Cannon posted a heartfelt tribute to Zen on the first anniversary of his son's death. He shared photos of himself with the infant, writing, "I can't believe it's been a year already since the toughest day of my life occurred," in the caption.

Cannon continued, "Losing a child has to be the heaviest, most dark and depressive experiences that I will never get over. A mixture of guilt, pain, and sorrow is what I suppress daily."

In June 2023, the Masked Singer host posted a series of photos on his Instagram Story honoring Zen on what would have been his second birthday. In one of the pictures, Cannon and his guests stood around illuminated balloons.

"Happy Birthday Zen," he wrote under the snap. "We Love You Son..."

Legendary Love Cannon, 1

On Jan. 31, 2022, Cannon revealed that he was expecting a baby with model Bre Tiesi, who told E!'s Daily Pop that she and the Wild 'N Out star have been dating "on-and-off for years." Their son, Legendary Love Cannon, was born in July 2022 via natural home birth.

"I did it. An all natural unmedicated home birth. This was the most humbling / limit pushing yet awakening and completely empowering experience," wrote Tiesi on Instagram. "I can't thank my team enough for delivering my son safely. This experience has changed me forever and I couldn't of asked for a more amazing and supportive partner. Daddy showed the f up for us.. I couldn't of done it without you. 💙 I can't believe he's here 🤗."

The model documented Legendary's birth in an 11-minute video on YouTube, where Cannon can be seen holding his newborn son. "Hey, Legendary," the father whispered before changing the baby's diaper.

In October 2022, Tiesi and Cannon celebrated their son's first Halloween by sharing an Instagram post of the baby boy in an adorable Mickey Mouse costume. "The legendary Mickey 🐭 wishing you all a very happy Halloween 🎃," the caption read.

Alongside raising her son, Tiesi joined the sixth season cast of Netflix's Selling Sunset. During one episode she spoke of Legendary, calling him "brilliant." In a later episode, the real estate agent discussed how she takes care of her family.

"I definitely strive to be the best at everything, to the point where I drive myself insane, but I've worked my ass off to be where I'm at," she said, adding, "I did this all myself, and of course, my son is even more of a motivation. I want to give him everything from me. Not from my partner."

Tiesi also called Cannon a "good dad."

In June 2023, Tiesi and Cannon celebrated their son's first birthday with a hip-hop-themed party. The event featured gold chain balloons, a bounce house and images of Legendary wearing a crown. "The party was based around his name, Legendary," Tiesi told PEOPLE. "We wanted the theme to include all of the hip-hop legends of our time!"

The proud mom also spoke about how fast her son has grown. "I can’t even process my beautiful baby is one," she said. "It went by so quickly!"

Onyx Ice Cole Cannon, 1

On Sept. 14, 2022, Cannon welcomed his ninth child and first with former Price Is Right model LaNisha Cole: a daughter named Onyx Ice Cole Cannon.

"Once again, today I am in awe of the Devine Feminine!" Cannon wrote on Instagram alongside a black-and-white photo of him holding his new baby girl next to Cole. "God has given me and @MissLanishaCole the privilege of hosting an Angel here on earth. I vow to protect, provide, guide and love this child to the best of my abilities."

First-time mom Cole also shared the birth news on her Instagram Story, writing, "Today has been such a special day for us. I can't tell you how blessed I feel to welcome Onyx Ice Cole Cannon into this world."

She continued, "The joy that I feel as a mother is something that has forever opened up my heart in a huge new way. ... I'm already obsessed with her! And you already know there'll be no shortage of pics and videos lol."

Cannon is making a clear effort to bond with baby Onyx. The Masked Singer host posted a photo on Instagram — he was napping and so was his newborn as she rested on his chest.

"All in a days work!! Onyx has the right idea! It's a wrap! Meditation and Rejuvenation aligns the Spirit!" Cannon captioned the sweet image.

During an interview on The Howard Stern Show in April 2023, Cannon was asked to name all of his children. He accidentally left out Onyx's name.

"You threw me off because I was going in order!" Cannon told the host in his defense.

A few days later, Cole seemingly responded to the mistake on her Instagram Story.

"It's not normal to have your life play out in front of an audience, but this is the age we live in. That being said ... no person's path is linear," she wrote. "There's going to be blind curves, peaks, valleys, and sometimes we make wrong turns or run into dead ends. Simply correct course and get back on your forward moving path."

Cole continued: "I pray every day for strength, guidance, and peace. Regardless of where I'm at on my path, I know that God's got me. And I've got Onyx."

The following month, Cannon revealed on The Jason Lee Podcast that Onyx is "probably the child that I spend the most time with."

He continued, "I'm with her at least three times a week, for the full day. But I don't put that out there in the media, social media [because] it's not for them. But you know, LaNisha [Cole] and I have a super strong understanding and our co-parenting operation is so solid."

Cannon spent more time with Onyx when he took her to Disneyland to celebrate her first birthday in September. The proud dad shared a video of the father-daughter duo exploring the shops, dining at Tiana's Palace and meeting various characters.

"Today is Onyx’s 1st birthday & we’re having a blast at Disneyland! 🎈🐭🎉" Cannon wrote in the caption.

Cannon also said his baby daughter often joins him on set.

Rise Messiah Cannon, 1

In August 2022, Cannon shared on Instagram that he was expecting another baby, his third with Bell. Baby boy Rise Messiah Cannon was born in September.

"Another Blessing!!! As my journey on this planet becomes more and more remarkable and unfathomable, all I can do is thank God and continue to ask the Most High to order my steps," Cannon wrote on Instagram. "He has given me stewardship and dominion over a family dynamic that to some is unimaginable."

The proud dad continued, "But more importantly he has blessed me with loving individuals to guide me with care through this purposeful life." He also celebrated Bell for being "the rock and foundation of my Fatherhood journey."

In November 2022, Bell posted photos from Rise's newborn photo shoot on Instagram. Some of the photos featured both mother and baby wearing white, with Bell holding Rise as she lounged on a bed. Another photo showed the newborn resting on an open bible.

"Let me tell you something about My Rise ❤️," the mom of three wrote in the caption. "My Rise came right on time / Calling me higher in challenges of darkness to a renewal of Sunshine / My Rise is patient and full of growth. My Rise has hints of Golden Warrior and Powerful Queen / My Rise is full of smiles and a joy I've never seen."

In May 2023, Bell proved that her baby boy is especially smart in a clip of Rise following Bell's directions to wave, raise his arms and clap.

"On his way!! He started reading sight words already too!!!! Can't wait to show you all.🤍✨," Bell wrote over the clip.

Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, 1

De La Rosa and Cannon welcomed their third child together, Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, on Nov. 11, 2022.

"Our Dearest Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon, We've known you for 2 days now and I'm in still in awe that you chose @nickcannon & I to be your parents," the mom-of-three wrote on Instagram. "Not one single word can express the love we have for you. We are so blessed to have this front row seat in your world. Your brothers can't wait to meet you (our family is wild but it's yours, no matter what 🫶)."

She continued: "You already have your Dad wrapped around your finger, it's been the sweetest thing 😍 He works so hard and will go above and beyond to make sure you know you are loved."

Cannon celebrated the birth of his 11th child in an Instagram post of his own, writing, "11/11/2022 A BEAUTIFUL DAY for 'BEAUTIFUL ZEPPELIN CANNON' to arrive!" He also thanked De La Rosa for the "tireless work of constant dedication, diligent effort and selfless love that you give to our children and myself."

The proud dad concluded: "BEAUTIFUL ZEPPELIN aka BZC aka BIZZY B! Get ready because the world is yours! Daddy loves you!!"

Halo Marie Cannon, 1

On Nov. 3, 2022, Cannon revealed that he and model Scott were expecting another baby together — his twelfth child and Scott's third (and their second together).

"This is a MIRACLE & a BLESSING 🤍," the model captioned an Instagram, which included an image of her standing naked in a bathtub while Cannon held her baby bump.

Scott had previously revealed her pregnancy on Oct. 26 but did not disclose any other details at the time.

In December 2022, Scott revealed that she and Cannon welcomed a baby girl named Halo Marie Cannon on Dec. 14.

Sharing an emotional video that reflects on welcoming their daughter just a year after the death of the pair's son Zen — who died at 5 months old as a result of brain cancer — Scott celebrated the significance of her daughter's arrival.

"December 14, 2022. Our lives are forever changed ❤️," she wrote in the caption 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."

Scott 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."

"My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon! 🤍."

On Jan. 12, 2023, Scott shared a video on her Instagram Story that featured sweet photos from Halo's newborn photo shoot. "She has changed so much already 🥺," Scott wrote over the video. Later that month, Scott posted another video on her Instagram Story featuring her and Halo spending time outside.

One video slowly zoomed in on the infant, who lounged on a baby pillow in the grass. Another clip featured Scott wearing a long-sleeved white maxi dress as she rocked Halo and sang to her. "Happy mama happy halo 🤍," she wrote in the corner of the video.

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