Nick Cannon says he is more protective of daughter than son in dating debate

Nick Cannon has acknowledged that he applies a “double standard” when it comes to his teenage twins' dating, saying he is significantly more protective of his daughter than his son.

The Masked Singer host, 45, discussed his parenting approach during an appearance on TMZ Podcast, where he spoke candidly about how he handles relationships for his 15-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, whom he shares with singer Mariah Carey.

Cannon revealed that he has “encouraged” his son Moroccan to date, but takes a very different stance with his daughter.

“My son has been dating, and I’ve allowed it, I encouraged it,” he said. However, when asked if the same applied to Monroe, he responded bluntly: “No, absolutely not.”

The entertainer admitted the difference in approach is intentional. “First of all, it’s absolutely a double standard,” he said.

“But there is a difference when parenting a son and then when parenting a daughter.”

Cannon explained that his heightened protectiveness toward his daughter comes from wanting to shield her from potential harm.

“I am more protective of my daughter because there are things out there that I have to protect my daughter from,” he said, adding that he believes parents often feel a stronger instinct to guard girls from certain risks.

The TV personality is father to multiple children with several partners, including Golden, Powerful, and Rise with Brittany Bell; twins Zillion and Zion and daughter Beautiful with Abby De La Rosa; Legendary with Bre Tiesi; Onyx with LaNisha Cole; and Halo with Alyssa Scott.

In a separate recent interview on The Breakfast Club, Cannon also reflected on his personal life, admitting that many of his parenting decisions stemmed from emotional struggles following his 2016 divorce from Carey.

He described his past choices as “careless,” saying he often acted without fully processing emotional trauma.

“It wasn’t like I was acting out. It was more of being careless, being frivolous with my process,” he said, adding that he believed he could “handle it” at the time.

Looking back, Cannon said he now recognises the importance of emotional healing and accountability, noting that unresolved trauma influenced parts of his journey into fatherhood.

“Now you’re leaving trauma every step of the way instead of fixing it from its origin,” he said, reflecting on the long-term impact of his decisions.