Nick Cannon admits identity struggles during Mariah Carey marriage

The comedian says his ex-wife deserves an ‘alpha,’ but he couldn’t be that person for her
Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon, Mariah Carey, Moroccan and Monroe (Photo credit: Bang Media)

Nick Cannon suffered an identity crisis during his marriage to Mariah Carey.

The comedian was married to the singer between 2008 and 2016, and they are parents to twins Moroccan and Monroe. Cannon admits being in a relationship with a famous superstar left questioning his place in the world.


“I didn’t actually really care what the world thought because the perception, you know, that is what it is. People are going to love you one day, hate you the next day,” Cannon explained during an appearance on the “Ray Daniels Presents” podcast.

“I could care less about that … But going to myself with that pressure of, ‘Who am I?’ … I got married in my 20s, you know what I mean? To the biggest star in the world. My trajectory was [downwards] and then hers — she’s already in a different stratosphere …” “The Masked Singer” host recalled.


“She’s got islands … I’m waking up at noon and people bringing me steaks on a platter. I would lay up at night thinking, like, ‘Is is this who I am? Am I Mariah’s man? Is that what my life is supposed to be?’ There’s nothing wrong with it,” he said.

“I’m carrying a purse — the diaper bag — and, you know, I’m standing on the corner, like, ‘Wait. She’s rocking being the alpha.’ She deserves it. I believe she needs a dude like that. I’m just not that dude,” Cannon admitted, stating how he struggled with the family’s “hierarchy” following the birth of their twins.

Carey previously opened up about the marriage in her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. She insisted they were good together but “egos” got in the way of their relationship.

“He was a good guy. He was faith-based. He was ambitious. He had been in the entertainment industry for a long time, so he understood the madness. He paid attention to me,” she writes.

“Honestly, I think Nick and I could have worked it out between the two of us, but egos and emotions got inflamed (which can translate into many billable lawyer hours, and ultimately it did). It was tough,” Carey continues. “We both wanted to make sure everything was cool for our family. We will always be family, and we make it work.”

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