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Nick Cannon recently opened up about the insecurities he faced while married to Mariah Carey. Speaking on the Ray Daniels Presents podcast on Oct. 24, the Wild 'n Out host, 44, discussed how he struggled with his identity after marrying the pop icon in 2008.
Cannon admitted he was less concerned with public opinion and more focused on internal questions of self-worth, saying, “People’s perceptions change daily. I didn’t worry about that. My pressure came from asking, ‘Who am I?’”
Reflecting on their relationship, Cannon, who married in his 20s, said, “I was young, married to the biggest star in the world. My path was here,” gesturing down, “while hers was already sky-high.”
He described how it was hard to maintain his identity outside of his role as “Mariah’s husband,” though he embraced the lifestyle, joking, “She’s got islands, and I’d be waking up at noon to a steak on a platter.”
As their family grew with the arrival of twins Moroccan and Monroe in 2011, Cannon also felt a shift in his role, carrying bags while Carey thrived as the alpha. “I realized she needed someone different,” he said, noting that he wasn’t that guy.
The couple first connected in 2008, after Cannon appeared in Carey’s “Bye Bye” music video. They quickly married in May 2008 but announced their split in 2014 after six years. Carey later reflected on their relationship in her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, calling Cannon “ambitious, faith-driven, and understanding of the industry’s madness.” She believed they could have worked things out but said, “egos and emotions” led them to divorce.
In August, Cannon hinted at his fondness for Carey, telling E! News he’d “absolutely” reconcile with her, even joking, “We belong together,” though he later told PEOPLE, “She’s moved on from my antics.”
Since their split, Carey has had other long-term relationships, while Cannon has welcomed 10 more children with various partners.
