He famously has 12 children with six different women, so it’s fair to wonder how much Nick Cannon pays in child support—and if he can even afford to do so.
The exceptionally fertile TV host-turned-professional baby daddy was born Nicholas Scott Cannon on October 8, 1980, in San Diego, California. His big break came in 1999 when he became a cast member of Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy show, All That, in which he starred from 1998 to 2000. After All That, Cannon went on to create, star in and executive produce his own sketch comedy and improv game show, Wild ‘N Out, on MTV. The show debuted in 2005 and has run for more than 18 seasons. Cannon’s hosting jobs continued with shows like the Nick Cannon Show, Lip Sync Battle, America’s Got Talent and The Masked Singer.
Related: Meet Nick Cannon’s 12 Kids—One of His Baby’s Mothers Is on Selling Sunset
How much does Nick Cannon pay in child support?
In an interview with The Neighborhood Talk in November 2022, when he had 11 children, Cannon revealed that he pays more than $3 million each year in child support for his burgeoning brood. “I definitely spend a lot more than [$3 million] on my children annually,” he said. “I don’t plan to ever have to participate in the governmental system of child.”
But in an interview with The Jason Lee podcast in an episode released on May 8, 2023, Cannon said the six women he has children with can have “whatever they want, whatever they ask for.” He explained, “My money is they money, they money is my money. … My account is their account, and there’s a lot in there, so we ain’t gon’ run out [sic].” He continued: “I believe true currency is your energy,” he said. “I wish I could make a contract [that says], ‘You cannot take this much of my energy when you leave.’ … Money comes and goes. I always tell people, ‘Money don’t make you happy. Happy makes you money.’ So I’m always going to be good, and every dollar that I make is for my family.”
The episode was recorded before Bre Tiesi, who debuted on Selling Sunset season six and with whom Cannon shares his eighth child, explained that the courts could get Cannon off the hook entirely for child support payments. Her co-star Amanza Smith asked Tiesi if it’s true that someone doesn’t have to pay child support after having 10 children, to which Tiesi responded: “That’s true. … The way it works is like, after 10, the court can basically say he can’t afford to pay child support. Or because he is who he is, they could say, ‘We know you can afford X amount for each household.’”
Tiesi insisted she doesn’t need Cannon’s money to support her or their child, however, and that Cannon is more than generous with his sharing his estimated $20 million net worth. “I take care of myself,” she said. “If my son needs something, or we do, I ask, that’s all I have to do. I know he’s a good dad and Nick is not my sugar daddy, Nick is not the reason I’m where I’m at.” She continued in a confessional interview: “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 added. “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.”
But Tiesi and Cannon obviously share a sense of humor over how much coverage their financials are receiving in the press. Earlier in May, Tiesi took to Instagram to show off a sparkling new Lamborghini Cannon had gifted her. “I still can’t believe what I woke up to!!! @nickcannon I have no words. I had to just sit here and stare at it, and cry with ledgy. You go above and beyond! We love you so much!!! If I didn’t already feel like a bad bitch, I definitely do now!” she wrote in the Instagram post. In a responding Instagram story, “Nope! The Government don’t have to tell us to pay Child Support… WE PAY LAMBO SUPPORT !!” Cannon wrote. “My Money is Their Money! Just accept it, We different over here !! LOL.”
Cannon also told Men’s Health in June 2022 that he believes he’s more “engaged” in all of his children’s lives than the “average” parent is with their kids. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m probably engaged throughout my children’s day, more often than the average adult can be,” he said. “If I’m not physically in the same city with my kids, I’m talking to them before they go to school via FaceTime and stuff. And then when I am [in the same city, I’m] driving my kids to school, like, making sure I pick ’em up.” He continued, “I’ve seen where people believe a traditional household works, and [yet] there’s a lot of toxicity in that setting. It’s not about what society deems is right. It’s like, what makes it right for you? What brings your happiness? What allows you to have joy and how you define family? We all define family in so many different ways.”
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