Before Nick Cannon was known for his polyamorous lifestyle, he used to exclusively date reality-star-turned-billionaire, Kim Kardashian. It was right when her infamous sex tape with Ray J was leaked.
Here's a closer look at their short-lived romance.
Inside Kim Kardashian & Nick Cannon's Romance
The two dated from late 2006 to early 2007. At that time, Kardashian wasn't nearly as famous as she is now. "People didn't know, they were just like, 'Who's that chick with Nick? She's bad,'" Cannon said of their brief relationship, adding that the tape came out a year into their relationship.
"And then a year later probably when the tape came out, I believe the tape was made prior to me, in my mind," he recalled. "Because it looks like to people I was with her first and then a year later or whatever the tape came out. But I think that tape was an older tape, but it looks to the public, it was Nick and then it was the tape."
Cannon also confirmed that Ray J knew the Skims founder before they started dating. "We were kids, we were young. I was really into her, I was vibing…[She's] an amazing person," Cannon continued, noting that he was the one who introduced her to her now ex-husband, rapper Kanye West during the birthday party thrown for him by the Keeping Up with the Kardashian alum.
"Long story short, we were getting pretty serious back then…It was getting serious…I was hanging out with the family," the actor said of that time. After their split, Cannon tied the knot with Mariah Carey in 2008. They welcomed twins, Moroccan and Monroe, two years later. They broke up in 2014, only to reconcile a year later. They divorced for good later in 2016.
Why Kim Kardashian & Nick Cannon Broke Up
Speaking to Howard Stern in 2012, Cannon revealed why he broke up with Kardashian who is "one of the nicest people you'll ever meet." He alleged that the reality star wasn't honest about her sex tape with Ray J. "This was my issue. We talked about this tape…And she told me there was no tape," he told the radio host.
"If she might have been honest with me I might have tried to hold her down and be like 'That was before me' because she is a great girl," he continued. "She's actually one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. But the fact that she lied and told me that there was no tape?"
Cannon also admitted that he had always suspected Kardashian of being involved with the tape's release.
"And I still think she might have even had a part to play with [its release]," he said, noting that he thinks "she's a great businesswoman if you ask me."
In a more recent interview with Drink Champs, the America's Got Talent star recalled that Ray J had warned him about Kardashian before the tape even got out.
"We were getting pretty serious back then… and I saw Ray J in Rodeo Drive; we used to talk to a lot of the same girls before," he shared. "We [him and Kardashian] were about to walk into the Louis Vuitton store and I was holding her hand, and he literally from across the street was like, 'You ain't gonna want to keep holding her hand soon. Watch."
"And I'm thinking he's just hating. That's still my man, but I'm thinking this is someone he used to rock with and now she's with me, I'm like, 'he's hating.'" Little did he know, Ray J's concerns were pretty serious.
Nick Cannon Would Be Open To Getting Back With Kim Kardashian
In July 2022, Cannon expressed that he would "spin the block" with Kardashian. "This is controversial. She's with my little bro. That's Pete [Davidson]," he said in an episode of Hot Tee. "I don't want to take credit for no one's skills, but Pete Davidson is literally my little brother. If you go back and look at the thing, he used to call the radio station, and my morning show, as a kid … He was my opening act. I put him on Wild 'N Out. That's my family. So, it was really interesting when I saw them together."
He continued: "Hey, it's all love, but that's Kim Kardashian. I'd definitely spin the block. Shoutout to my little bro, but I would. I mean, come on. I don't know what their situation is. I'm not messy, I'm patient. Let's just say that." A month later, Page Six confirmed that Davidson and Kardashian had called it quits after nine months of dating.
"Kim and Pete have decided to just be friends," said the outlet's source. "They have a lot of love and respect for each other, but found that the long distance and their demanding schedules made it really difficult to maintain a relationship." Davidson went on to date Emily Ratajkowski for a month. Kardashian is currently single and is reportedly trying her best to co-parent with West who recently remarried.