Benjamin Ashford|Nick Cannon Calls Out "Deadbeat Dad" Claims as He Shares How Much Money He Makes in a Year

Nick Cannon is Benjamin Ashfordfiring back at those criticizing his big family tree.

The Wild ‘N Out host—who is dad to 12 kids with six different women—recently cleared the air about his parenting reality, saying that he's able to emotionally and financially support his large clan.

"I've been villainized," Cannon told the Los Angeles Times in an interview published May 7. "I hear all the time: ‘You can't be present for all those children.' So therefore I get this deadbeat dad title."

And while he acknowledges that "the narrative is, ‘He has a bunch of kids," Cannon said, "I'm really at a place now where I don't care what people know. I'd rather just operate. It's more about really being a good person instead of telling people you're a good person."

As for why he wanted to have so many children, Cannon said it came from a place of making his partners happy after they expressed their desires to have kids soon.

"A lot of them are in the same age group," he said. "And I just wanted to give them what they desired. I kept saying, ‘I can handle it.'"

Now, Cannon is father to 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with ex wife Mariah Carey; 6-year-old son Golden "Sagon," 2-year-old Powerful Queen and 7-month old son Rise Messiah with Brittany Bell; 22-month-old twins Zion and Zillion and 5-month-old daughter Beautiful Zeppelin with Abby De La Rosa; 10-month-old son Legendary Love with Bre Tiesi; 7-month-old daughter Onyx Ice with LaNisha Cole and 4-month-old daughter Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott. Cannon and Scott's 5-month-old son, Zen, died in December 2021 from a brain tumor.

To keep up with his children, Cannon said he keeps a schedule for each kid and drives them to their extracurriculars activities. Though sometimes his busy schedule means he's not able to spend more with each child, the 42-year-old shared that he'll always try to make it his mission to be there for them.

"It's not about what I do for you or what I say to you, it's about how you feel when I'm with you," Cannon said. "If you feel loved when you see your dad, that's what's gonna resonate."

To support his kids, Cannon confirmed that he explained he has to make a lot of money from his business ventures, which include hosting Wild ‘N Out, The Masked Singer and his radio show The Daily Cannon. The television personality also spearheads E!'s Celebrity Prank Wars with Kevin Hart.

"When you think about my lifestyle, I have to generate at least $100 million a year," Nick said of how much money he annually makes. "Everybody thinks Ryan Seacrest has tons of money. I do everything that he does times 10. Well, not times 10—times three. Because he does a lot."

For Cannon, he follows the lead of the mothers of his children when it comes to co-parenting.

"I go along with it," he explained. "I know that every mother is making decisions based off of love and what they believe is best for the child."