Nick Cannon is known for having a large, blended family, but he’s making it clear that while he gets along with the mothers of his twelve children, that doesn’t mean they all have to be close or even friends.

On the August 13 episode of his Wondery podcast, Nick Cannon @ Night, Cannon pushed back on the idea that his children’s mothers, Mariah Carey, Brittany Bell, Abby De La Rosa, Alyssa Scott, Bre Tiesi, and LaNisha Cole, should be friends.

When asked by guest comedian Flame Monroe if the women “get along,” Cannon laughed, replying, “Do you know six women anywhere that get along?” He added, “A basketball team be beefing with each other,” before noting that “about half” of the mothers are Black.

For Cannon, there’s no rulebook requiring his co-parents to be besties. “They don’t have to. They have their own lives,” he said, explaining that while some families choose to be more interconnected, his approach is different. “It’s just that I’m not like this king of some harem that’s telling people what they have to do. It’s more about, sure, if you have your own personal relationship, have at it, but it’s not a prerequisite.”

The Masked Singer host credited “individuality and communication” for the healthier dynamic he now shares with his children’s mothers, admitting that wasn’t always the case. “I think everybody enjoys having the respect of their own household, their own family, but once you start grouping people together, then I think that’s when you can create confusion. That’s when egos get involved. That’s when comparisons get involved. And like I said, I’m learning and growing daily.”

Putting the kids first has become the shared priority, even after public bumps in the road. Earlier this year, Alyssa Scott, mom to their 2-year-old daughter Halo and late son Zen, accused Cannon of not visiting Halo for more than a month and made headlines for poking fun at his decision to insure his testicles for $10 million.

Despite occasional tension, Cannon says the focus remains on raising his children well. “We’ve learned to put our children first,” he said, emphasizing that mutual respect, not forced friendships, keeps their unique family structure working.

Photo Credit: Nick Cannon Instagram