Nick Cannon slammed for suggesting his “light-skinned, mixed-race” mother shaped his dating decisions, claims she’s “cut from the same cloth” as ex-wife Mariah Carey

Comedian-turned-talk-show host Nick Cannon made waves for three weeks in a row after featuring popular but controversial Pan-Africanist Dr. Umar Ifatunde Johnson on his show “Counsel Culture.”

A recent episode of the show delved into the nuances of interracial dating. This topic is very important to Cannon, who’s the father of 12 children by six different moms; most of them are white, Latino or biracial. Only one, LaNisha Cole, is a dark-skinned black woman.

Dr. Umar, a licensed therapist who makes a speciality of working with young black children, desired to explore the issue of colorism in Cannon’s family, especially how it would affect his only black daughter, Onyx Ice Cole, as she aged.

First, Umar noted that many successful black men married or reproduced with women of other races.

He said the impact it has on the community is two-fold: first, it is usually seen as disrespectful to black women, and second, it could possibly affect the self-esteem of young black girls.

Umar noted that when working with black girls in the school system, they internalize the concept that there’s something inherently flawed with them, believing that that is why successful black men select white partners over them.

This was the basis for one in all his comments, which he asked on to Cannon about his daughter Onyx, her 10 surviving brothers and sisters, and their moms.

“When Princess grows up with her siblings, you’re going to have to talk to their mothers about colorism,” he said.

Umar explained that as the brother of a dark-skinned woman, he saw “how she suffered from colorism” of their clan. As a result, she knows that someday the “Wild ‘N Out” host and creator may have to have deep conversations with the child, her mother, her other children and their moms to make certain she is going to never be ostracized due to her melaninated skin. skin tone.

“You would have to have this conversation, and once you start explaining to Onyx that your blackness is in no way a sin or a curse… it is a blessing and a power,” Umar insisted.

The Philadelphia resident then challenged Cannon, saying, “When she mentions you as her father and says, ‘Well, Dad, if that color is so great, how did you end up fathering so many children with women of color?’ ?”

Cannon’s response was unexpected. He said he would tell her, “Dad has a problem with wanting an assortment of flavors. I want to try everything.”

He also suggested that his mother, Beth Gardner, who is a “light-skinned mixed-race woman”, likely influenced his preference for women, noting that he was told that resembles his ex-wife, Mariah Carey. “They appear like they’re cut from the same cloth… if we’re just talking about the complexion,” he said.

Social media decided.

“So he just avoided it with a joke. Wanting to have a range is one thing. He still only had children with women who looked a certain way and weren’t black,” user X he stated in the edited clip of the query. Other he said, “Is this what he would tell his children? lol, no wonder.

One person he wrote, “Nick…breaking news!!!! your mother is not light skinned!!! She’s a black woman with brown skin. The fourth person was equally disgusted, writing“There is not a single brown, sensible black woman who wants to be elected by people like Nick Cannon. This is a man who has created many broken families and, according to some of the mothers of his children, does not pay child support.”

In a lengthy interview, the former Nickelodeon star added that she had talked about this before, trying to elucidate that, like Travis Scott, who had a toddler with Kylie Jenner, he wasn’t attempting to “make a cultural statement” by having interracial children.

“I do it out of love,” Cannon said. “I’m not doing this to… for my community or anything like that. I’m doing this because I love this woman. OK, it may be ignorance because I don’t think about what the community will think. I’m doing this because, man, I fell in love with this woman, regardless of her complexion, regardless of her race, regardless of her upbringing.

Umar then asked him if he felt an obligation to the community or if he felt guilty for not choosing more dark-skinned black women to be the mothers of his children. Cannon said yes, in many ways.

“I feel guilty for many reasons,” the comedian said. “Guilt does not mean shame. Guilt means responsibility.”

Cannon says he’s trying to make up for not being a symbol of black family and perfection in other ways.