As previously reported, Nick Cannon has suffered the worst kind of tragedy.
The Masked Singer host and long-time television personality revealed on his talk show yesterday that his five-month old son, Zen, had passed away from brain cancer.
“I got so much to talk about,” he said at the start of The Nick Cannon Show on Tuesday morning.
“I haven’t even shared this with anybody. Not even the crew. Just because there is so much going on in the world. I had a tough, very tough weekend.”
Cannon went on to detail the way in which he and Zen’s mother, Alyssa Scott, learned that their child had been diagnosed with a type of cancer known as hydrocephalus.
They took him this summer to the doctor for what they believed to be a basic sinus infection, only to be told that fluid was building up in the infant’s head and that immediate surgery was required.
As Nick explained on air, physicians put a shunt in Zen’s head and they hoped “for the best.”
From there? The family “carried on” and Zen was “playing with all his brothers and sisters.”
Sadly, Zen began began to encounter additional difficulties around Thanksgiving — and Cannon held him for the final time this past weekend.
“I didn’t know how I was gonna handle today but I just really wanted to grieve with my family, people who love you,” said Cannon on Tuesday.
“I didn’t want to make it about any pageantry so I kind of went back and forth of what I should do but I was always taught, you go through it you grow through it, you keep pushing.
“I’m here to show that I can fight through this, I’m feeling it, I’m vulnerable, I’m open.
“This is a special show dedicated to my beautiful son Zen.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, Cannon followed up his heartbreaking revelation as follows.
“People keep asking me how I’m doing I say, ‘I’m vertical, I’m standing and you know that’s a good start.’
“A lot of people keep asking me like, ‘Man why are you even at work?’ Especially my family members, ‘Boy you need to go sit down somewhere, you got too many jobs already. Allow yourself to just be yourself.’
“And I appreciate that, all of that advice and I know it comes from a place of care. But to me, this isn’t work.”
The talk show host went on to thank his audience members and fans for the “onslaught of love” since he broke the devastating news.
“I didn’t expect it from all over the world I really can’t thank you guys enough,” he added.
“When I’m talking about the guilt I don’t want even make it about me like, but I say thank you from Alyssa, Zen’s mom, and the rest of our family…
“She’s making it, you know, five minutes at a time. But it’s but those words really, the tweets, it’s outstanding.”
The comedian proceeded to thank Scott for “being that strength and being that rock” amid the very challenging time.
“[I’m sending] love to Alyssa, love to her extended family, love to each and every mother that has ever had to lose a child had to deal with a child with special needs,” Cannon said on air.
“I watched her growth…mothers are superheroes at every aspect, and I want to just take this time out to say she is doing well but continue to pray for her, continue to pray for our entire family.
“And we’re gonna get through it.”
