Nick Cannon is receiving an outpouring of love in the wake of revealing his infant son died of cancer. Cannon made the announcement in an emotional moment on his daytime talk show. Now, he’s defending his decision to work through his pain.
Nick Cannon revealed that his 5-month-old son died of brain cancer
Cannon’s son Zen was born in June 2021 with model Alyssa Scott. The Wild N’ Out star says he noticed when Zen was about 2-months-old, he began showing symptoms of sinus problems. He also said Zen’s head appeared larger than normal. The baby was soon diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition that causes a buildup of fluid on the brain. They tried draining the fluid but eventually grew a cancerous tumor and things took a turn for the worse over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Last weekend, Cannon says he and Scott knew the end was near and opted to spend as much quality time with Zen as possible. Cannon typically flies out to New York from LA every Sunday evening to tape his talk show but couldn’t work the nerve to do so. He shared a final family photo of the three at the beach.
As far as returning to work so soon, Cannon said during the broadcast: “I was always taught, you go through it, you grow through it; you keep pushing. I’m here to show that I can fight through this, I’m feeling it, I’m vulnerable, I’m open. This is a special show dedicated to my beautiful son Zen.”
The talk show host says he does feel guilty
Cannon has received a lot of backlash for his decision to return to work. But for him, he says it’s been therapeutic in a sense.
“A lot of people keep asking me, like, ‘Man why you even at work?’ Especially my family,” he said during the Dec. 8 episode, as reported by People.
“‘Boy, you need to go sit down somewhere. You got too many jobs already! Allow yourself to just be yourself.’… I appreciate all that advice, and I know it comes from a place of care, but to me this isn’t work. This is love.”
Still, he admits his emotions are split, adding he feels “guilty on so many levels.”
“Yesterday, it was a little easier than today because yesterday I was so laser-focused and even numb,” he continued. “I just knew I just had to get it done. Today, I’m a little torn. I’m a little confused. Because it’s a hurting thing. I’m grieving. I feel guilty on so many levels.”
Our thoughts continue to be with Cannon and his family.