Nick Cannon says there's 'a lot of toxicity' in traditional households and defends his parenting as a father of 8

• Nick Cannon defended having kids with five women in an interview with Men's Health.
• Cannon said when it comes to his family, "It's not about what society deems is right."

Nick Cannon, 41, opened up about fatherhood and his involvement in the lives of his children in a new interview with Men's Health.

Speaking with Mychal Denzel Smith for the May-June issue of the magazine, Cannon said there is "a lot of toxicity" in a "traditional household" setting. The "Masked Singer" host announced in January that he's expecting his eighth child with model Brie Tiesi.

"It's not about what society deems is right. It's like, what makes it right for you? What brings your happiness? What allows you to have joy and how you define family?" he added. "We all define family in so many different ways."

Cannon is also the father to 11-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with his ex-wife, Mariah Carey; a 5-year-old son, Golden, and an 18-month-old daughter, Powerful, with Brittany Bell; and two 11-month-old twins, Zillion and Zion, with Abby De La Rosa. Zen, his 5-month-old son with Alyssa Scott, died from a brain tumor in December 2021.

The host of "Wild 'N Out" said that he's able to play a big role in his kids' lives because he has the flexibility at his various gigs to set his own hours. When it comes to his children, Cannon said he's involved in "everything" from dropping his children off at school, to guitar lessons, and coaching. He also said he FaceTimes them when he's not in town.

"Contrary to popular belief, I'm probably engaged throughout my children's day, more often than the average adult can be," he told the publication.

During a February appearance on the "The Language of Love" podcast, Cannon shared that he doesn't plan on having more children after his eighth child is born, adding that he doesn't "have the bandwidth for it anymore." In an interview on E! News' "Daily Pop" show in May, Cannon told hosts Justin Sylvester and Loni Love that he went for a vasectomy consultation and he wasn't "looking to populate the Earth completely."

While speaking to Men's Health, the comedian said he doesn't think much when people ask him if he's going to have more kids.

"I love my children. I love the people that I'm involved with. People even often ask, 'Are you gonna have more, you gonna stop?' I'm like, those are questions that I don't, I don't really even sit around and think about," Cannon said. "I'm just walking in my purpose and trying to be the best father and best provider I could possibly be."