The Sad Reason Nick Cannon Feels 'Guilty' After His Son's Death

In early December, Nick Cannon faced something no parent should ever have to face — the loss of a child. Cannon broke the devastating news to fans while sitting behind a desk on the set of "The Nick Cannon Show." The host told the audience that he had some information to share that he hadn't even shared with the show's staff as he introduced a photo of his youngest son Zen Scott Cannon as the photo of the day. Cannon then went on to share what transpired in his family.

"Over the weekend, I lost my youngest son to a condition called hydrocephalus that is pretty much a malignant, midline brain tumor — brain cancer," Cannon said through tears, stating that he had spent the last weekend with the 5-month-old. The talk show host also shared that he had noticed signs that something may have been wrong with Zen early on. "I always noticed he had a cough, and so I wanted to check it out," he said. "He had this interesting breathing, and by the time he was two months, I noticed he had this nice sized head too — a Cannon head," Cannon stated, revealing they had taken Zen to the doctor for routine tests when they found out the devastating diagnosis.

Cannon also made sure to applaud Zen's mom, Alyssa Scott, and her strength during such a difficult time. But now, Cannon says he's feeling a little bit of guilt.

How Nick Cannon feels in the wake of his son's death

Following the tragic and unimaginable death of his beloved son, Zen, Nick Cannon is experiencing a wide range of emotions in the aftermath. When talking to the studio audience of his self-titled talk show, Cannon confessed that he had been feeling a lot of "guilt" returning to the show, and he specifically mentioned the song "I Stood on the Banks of Jordan."

"It's a reference of just how people come and go. Grieving, it's like the ocean. It's like an ebb and flow," Cannon said of the song by Reverend James Brown. "Every five minutes, you never know. One of the lines in the song is, 'I'm confused in my mind, broken in my heart, but I still hold my head to the sky.' That is the personification of where I am, because I'm still grieving; I feel guilty on so many levels," he added, saying that he never wanted to exploit his son's death.  

During his monologue, Cannon also shared that he felt confused and torn about returning to work, but work is a comfort to him. "This is therapy for me. This is therapeutic," he shared, adding that he had kept his son's medical condition private out of respect for Zen's mom, Alyssa Scott. So, he was truly overcome with emotions over the outpouring of support from his celebrity friends and the general public. Our thoughts go out to the family during this difficult time.