Nick Cannon has a lot of love for his ex-wife, Mariah Carey. The 39-year-old musician, actor and TV personality speaks with Variety about his time with the 50-year-old pop superstar, with whom he shares 9-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan.
Of their 2008 wedding, which took place weeks after they started dating, Cannon says, “It was more that whimsical fantasy idea of let’s have as much fun as we possibly can and when it no longer feels like fun, when it feels like a task and a job, then we should amicably be able to move on.”
Cannon feels that he and Carey had a good dynamic when they were together.
“I always used to say it worked so well because it was a healthy balance,” he explains. “I had no problem falling back. It was never a competition with me. It was like ‘I’ll turn mine off so she can turn hers on.’ I was comfortable in myself and who I was.”
Cannon adds, “My ego outside the house was grand but in the house it was healthy. I was there to be in support of whatever she wanted to do. I mean, it’s Mariah Carey. How am I supposed to be? She’s one of the most talented women to ever this planet. I can’t hold a candle to that woman.”
Of the end of their relationship, Cannon notes that he didn’t have big fights with his ex.
“I can’t ever remember us having arguments and there being negative energy of ‘This isn’t working’ and all of that stuff. We had very sensible conversations,” he says.
Carey and Cannon separated in 2014 and officially divorced in 2016. These days, they successfully co-parent their two kids.
“We’re doing whatever we can to make sure their upbringing is as healthy as can possibly be and that we’re as healthy as we can possibly be. And that’s where we are to this day,” he says.
Earlier this year, Cannon opened up to Lauren Zima about how his views on marriage have shifted since he ended things with Carey.
“I don’t believe in marriage anymore,” he said at the time. “My mindset has changed. I have done that. I don’t like doing things that I am not good at.”
