Nick Cannon’s Infant Son Has Died
Tragically, Nick Cannon's infant son has passed away.
This article is more than 2 years old
Today Nick Cannon announced that the worst thing that could happen to any parent befell him and his partner Alyssa Scott. Their 5 month old son Zen died over the weekend. Tragically, the infant fell victim to a brain tumor.
Visibly upset but with a surprising amount of poise under the circumstances, Cannon made the announcement on The Nick Cannon Show today. To a loving, supportive audience, Cannon explained that his son Zen suffered from hydrocephalus, which he explained was “a malignant, midline brain tumor — brain cancer.” NBC News says the condition is characterized by an abnormal amount of fluid in the brain. In spite of surgery to remove the excess fluid, Zen’s condition worsened around Thanksgiving. Zen deteriorated rapidly, dying this past Sunday. You can watch Cannon’s emotional account below.
Nick Cannon explained that neither he nor Alyssa Scott were overly concerned by Zen’s abnormally large head at first, which he jokingly called a “Cannon head.” What concerned him is when he noticed, when Zen was two months old, the infant’s “real interesting breathing.” While he and Scott were being careful parents, Cannon said they still assumed their visit to the doctor “would be routine.” After the diagnosis was made, Cannon and Scott learned the excess fluid in Zen’s brain caused it to expand.
Nick Cannon is understandably overcome with grief when he tells the story of the last day he spent with his son. He says that he and Scott woke up early so they could bring Zen with them to the beach and catch the sunrise. Cannon explained that at first he was preparing his day as normal and heading to the airport, when he decided he needed to turn around and spend more time with his infant son. “I turned around and not only did we get to see the sunrise, but we got to see the sunset too,” Cannon said. He posted an image of himself, Scott, and young Zen on the beach which you can see below.
Nick Cannon told the audience, “You can’t heal until you feel.” He dedicated the show to his son. Cannon also informed the audience he would, understandably, be taking time off to grieve the immense loss.
Not long after Nick Cannon made his announcement, model Alyssa Scott posted a heartbreaking tribute to her infant son on her Instagram stories (via Entertainment Tonight). One picture shows Zen smiling in his sleep. In a video Scott shared, she asks him if he can say “Good morning Daddy” and “I love you.” After Zen tries, she answers, “Good job. And he loves you too.”
While it no doubt can’t take away from the pain Nick Cannon feels right now and will continue to feel in the days to come, the TV personality is blessed with an abundance of children. With his ex-wife Mariah Carey, Cannon has 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe. Model Brittany Bell shares with Cannon his 4-year-old son Golden and his 11-month-old daughter Powerful Queen. With DJ Abby De La Rosa, Cannon has the 5-month-old twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir.
