Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon were married for six years and have two kids together. They co-parent their children now.
We never know how we are going to fall in love or who we may fall in love with. Finding the person we love can be a fun and heartwarming process. Some people take years to fall in love and others find their love in a heartbeat. There is no set pattern or formula for how people fall in love.
When Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon met each other in 2005 and decided to get married within six weeks, they took everyone by surprise. The couple got matching tattoos after tying the knot at Carey’s Bahamian estate to tie the knot in a sunset, ocean-side ceremony, as per People magazine.
"We got tattoos!" said Carey. "His is on one shoulder to the other and it says 'Mariah.'" Hers is on her lower back and it said 'Mrs. Cannon." After her first marriage where she was abused, Cannon's attentions were a breath of fresh air. He made her feel safe unlike the cage of a relationship she was in earlier.
"It’s comforting – and something I’ve never felt before. Which is really being in love and happy with someone who really understands me and isn’t trying to do anything but make me happy. It’s wonderful," she said.
It was love at first sight for the couple and the whirlwind romance proved that they fell hard. "It feels amazing. My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. I’ve been smiling for days," Cannon said after their wedding.
According to Carey, they knew they wanted to marry each other since the time they started dating. "I’d always admired Mariah from afar, but once we connected I felt it was destined: This has to be my wife," Cannon added.
Before they got married, Carey cast Cannon for a music video, and she was sure that she only wanted him for the role. "The song was a love story. It was perfect for us," she said back then. One other thing that they did before getting married was to never compromise on happiness.
"We were both at this place where relationships really aren’t our thing but we like each other," Cannon told Variety. "We talked about how much fun it would be if we just got married three weeks into knowing each other. It was more that whimsical fantasy idea of let’s have as much fun as we possibly can and when it no longer feels like fun, when it feels like a task and a job, then we should amicably be able to move on," he explained.
They stayed true to their pact even after welcoming twins, Moroccan Scott and Monroe, in 2011. When their relationship stopped the other person from living their best possible life, they mutually agreed to part ways six years after getting married. They continue to be co-parents to their kids and provide a loving environment for them.
"I feel like when two people are in a relationship, it should be about growth, right? It should be a situation where everyone’s becoming a better human being in the relationship,” Cannon told The Wendy Williams Show. "So when you get to a point where there’s no longer any growth and you’re not bettering each other […] I felt like it was probably best, especially for our children, since they’re the number one priority, if I could be the best human being and the best father from outside of that house, that’s what I had to do," he added.
Cannon had hopes that they would reconcile one day and had said that he would remarry her but his ex-wife isn't on the same page as him. She has been dating choreographer Bryan Tanaka since 2016 and marriage isn't on the cards, reports CheatSheet. Meanwhile, the rapper said that he doesn't believe in marriage anymore after their divorce, as per USA Today.
While their relationship didn't survive, they are still dedicated to being good parents for their children.
References:
https://people.com/premium/mariah-nicks-island-wedding/
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/nick-cannon-mariah-carey-marriage-divorce-1234636052/