Long before becoming a father of twelve, Nick Cannon once committed to celibacy as he planned to wait until marriage.
The topic came up on a recent episode of his sex and relationships podcast Nick Cannon at Night, where around the five-minute mark, the entertainer opened up about that phase of his spiritual journey.
“I tried it for a year and a half when I was young,” Cannon said, before explaining the difference between celibacy and abstinence. He noted that celibacy is often connected to long-term or even lifelong decisions to avoid sex, while abstinence is usually a temporary choice, often tied to waiting until marriage or being in a committed relationship.
“At one point I was attempting to be celibate because it was a very spiritual and religious thing when you grow up in a Christian setting and fornication is bad and all of that stuff,” Cannon shared. “The goal was like, ‘Oh, I’ve found a partner and we’re going to withhold and not have sex until marriage.’ And then she cheated on me.”
“So, I ain’t been selling it since, Doc. I’ve been out here,” Cannon joked while speaking with professional expert Dr. Dow.
It’s clear the comedian didn’t stick with celibacy after that experience. Nick Cannon now shares twelve children with multiple women, including his oldest kids — 14-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe Cannon — whom he shares with ex-wife Mariah Carey.
Nick isn’t the only celebrity to speak openly about celibacy. Mya, 50 Cent, and Omarion have also discussed it publicly, with Omarion pointing to religion as his motivation for stepping away from sex.
“I did it for three years. Now I look back, I be like, sheesh,” Omarion said during a November 2025 episode of the podcast On That Note With Shawn Stockman. “‘Cause I love women. I love women in all [their] splendor — friendships, best friends, lovers, all that.”
