Mariah Carey's 13-Year-Old Twins Are Growing Up Fast
The stunning Mariah Carey has been in show business for decades. Since her arrival, Carey has been at the top of the charts, wowing audiences with her powerful vocals and signature whistle notes. She's won Grammy Awards, broken Billboard records, written books, and consistently taken over the radio for the last six weeks of every year since 1994. Carey is a huge part of pop music history, and she's still finding ways to make herself relevant after over 30 years in the industry.
While Carey's accomplishments are certainly notable, she'd say that the best thing she's ever done is welcome her two children into the world. Carey shares twins, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, with her ex-husband, Nick Cannon. Since their birth, Carey has been obsessed with her kids, taking them with her on tour and bringing them on stage during her performances. And the singer is just as obsessed with them at 13 years old as she was at their birth. Take a look at how fast Moroccan and Monroe have grown up.
Moroccan and Monroe were born in 2011
Mariah Carey went on a difficult journey to be able to have children. After suffering a miscarriage, the singer made some lifestyle changes to be able to carry a pregnancy to term. "The main thing I did that was tough, was to go on progesterone like every month... and then when I was pregnant, I had to stay with the progesterone for 10 weeks. It minimizes the chance of miscarriage by 50 percent," Carey said in a "20/20" interview, per ABC News.
Pregnancy wasn't particularly easy for Carey, either. As the Grammy winner shared, her body went through a lot while carrying her children. "I don't think I understood the enormity and the magnitude of what it really does to your body. Carrying two babies. Unless somebody's been through it, it's difficult to understand what I went through, because my pregnancy was very unique in terms of what happened to me," Carey said in the interview, per the Los Angeles Times. The result was worth the struggles, though. After her miscarriage and a difficult pregnancy, Carey welcomed twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with then-husband Nick Cannon. The couple showed their children to the world for the first time on the "20/20" interview. Since then, both Carey and Cannon have continued sharing footage of Moroccan and Monroe with their followers, primarily through their social media pages.
Their parents separated when they were toddlers
Moroccan and Monroe Cannon's time under one household was short-lived. Their parents, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, who got married in 2008, separated in 2014 and finalized their divorce in 2016. The twins were 3 when Nick and Carey separated and 5 by the time they officially divorced. Looking back at their marriage, Carey believed that she and Nick could've remained married. "Honestly, I think Nick and I could have worked it out between the two of us, but egos and emotions got inflamed (which can translate into many billable lawyer hours, and ultimately it did),″ Carey said in her memoir "The Meaning of Mariah Carey," as reported by People. ″It was tough. We both wanted to make sure everything was cool for our family. We will always be family, and we make it work," she added.
Nick and Carey's finalized divorce brought with it a finalized custody agreement. The exes reportedly agreed to share joint custody of their children, and it seems that their arrangement has worked ever since. Nick and Carey seemingly both have quality time with the twins, and the exes even get together at times for the sake of their children. "It's all rooted in love, it's all rooted in positive energy," Nick said to People about his and Carey's co-parenting relationship. "There's no hard feelings and ill will. Ultimately, it's about putting the kids first and making sure they have the best childhood they could possibly have."
Monroe Cannon has had modeling opportunities
If Monroe Cannon wants to model in the future, she'll already have some work experience. Mariah Carey's daughter, with whom she has a close relationship, has had multiple opportunities to model professionally. The young model got her start in 2021 when she appeared in an ad for Oshkosh B'gosh, narrating from the point of view of Carey when she was Monroe's age. "Introducing... MONROE! P.S. Mommy loves you so much!!!!!" Carey said on Instagram when posting the commercial. A little over two years later, Monroe got another modeling gig, that time with Carey and her brother, Moroccan Cannon. The three starred in an advertisement for The Children's Place, donning, of course, matching Christmas pajamas.
Monroe and Moroccan have had practice modeling at home, too. In 2022, Carey uploaded a video to social media of her kids walking a pretend runway at home and getting into a cat fight at the end of it. But Carey assured fans it was all in good fun. "No kids were harmed in the making of this video," she quipped in the video's caption.
Monroe Cannon is very musically gifted
Mariah Carey is one of the most successful musicians of all time and heralded by many as one of the greatest vocalists ever (although there is one iconic Mariah Carey song that her kids can't stand). Nick Cannon has had success as a professional musician, too, so it should come as no surprise that their daughter, Monroe Cannon, also has musical talent. Thanks to Carey's enduring career, Monroe has had plenty of opportunities to showcase her voice alongside her mother. In 2022, for example, Monroe joined Carey at one of her holiday shows in Toronto, Canada, where the two sang a rendition of "Away in a Manger." "We sing together sometimes," Carey said to the crowd ahead of their performance (via YouTube). "I never want to force her to sing, but we sing together, and we worked this one out for you guys," she added. Monroe also joined her mother in 2023 for her Christmas performance at the Hollywood Bowl. The duo sang Carey's original Christmas song "Jesus Born On This Day."
It seems that Monroe is already envisioning a future in the arts. "She wants to go to Yale's drama school, so we'll see how that goes," Nick told People about his daughter. "I think that'd be amazing." He added, "I mean, even the fact that that's the approach she wants to take, as opposed to, 'Oh, I want to go do a movie now,' [is great]. She's like, 'No, I want to go to college first and major in the arts.' It's like, 'All right, that's dope.'"
Moroccan Cannon is a funny kid
Twins often have similar interests, but it's not uncommon for them to like different things, too. It seems that Monroe and Moroccan Cannon are an even mix. For example, their parents have said that they both love to be in the spotlight. "They love attention. They love performing," Nick Cannon said about his twins in an interview with E! News. "My son is fascinated with cameras and directing and making little movies," Nick added about Moroccan. The parents have also praised Moroccan for his sense of humor. "Rocky is like a freaking comedian," Mariah Carey said about her son in an interview with Access Hollywood. "He's hilarious ... He has no filter, let's put it that way."
Moroccan's other interests are wide-ranging. Nick has mentioned that his son is into gaming, and Carey shared that Moroccan and his sister both took karate lessons as kids. As teenagers, both kids have kept an interest in staying active. "They're into activities like physical sports and stuff like that, which I was hoping they would be, because when they were little, I had them doing that," Carey said about her children in an interview with People. "They're both really enjoying activities and sports and all of that."
Morroccan is musical, too
Unsurprisingly, Moroccan Cannon is musically gifted, too. Although Moroccan hasn't gotten on stage quite as often as Monroe, he's still plenty familiar with performing in front of a crowd. In 2023, Moroccan took the stage with Carey during a holiday performance to show off his rapping skills, and in 2024, he and Monroe performed at Carey's holiday show at the Hollywood Bowl. Carey even left the stage for a moment to let the twins have their own spotlight. With Moroccan on the drums and Monroe playing guitar and singing, the siblings played a cover of "Christmas Wrapping," replete with their own dance steps and backup dancers. And while Carey thinks her children are talented, she also admires their work ethic. "The fact that they are eager to do it, that's on them," Carey said about her children in an interview with Access Hollywood. "I'm not forcing them to do anything... They're rehearsing for it, and going for it, and really working hard, so that's impressive."
If Moroccan or Monroe wants to pursue a career in entertainment, Carey will be supportive. The singer has already voiced that she wants both of her children to follow whatever career path they choose, even if it's difficult. "I think they're both very talented and smart, and if they want to pursue having a life as an entertainer, then I think they should," Carey said to People about her children. "It's a hard kind of life, but they seem to really love performing, so I'm happy for them."
Monroe and Moroccan love animals
Mariah Carey loves dogs, and she's passed down her care for furry friends to her children. The pop icon owns multiple animals, and she's featured dogs in her music videos a number of times over the course of her career. Carey's dogs — Cha Cha, Jill E. Beans, and Mutley — are so chic that they've even been interviewed for Vogue (Cha Cha shared that she tries to eat makeup, Mutley noted that he pees all over the place, and Jill E. Beans said she likes to be played with). Carey's kids, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, are clearly fans of the dogs, too. The singer occasionally shares footage of Moroccan and Monroe with their family dogs, including a video taken just before Christmas in 2021. Carey sang the words "All I want for Christmas" while Moroccan, Monroe, and the dogs finished the line by howling "is you" in unison.
Carey and her kids are open to welcoming new animal additions to their family, too. In 2023, Carey ended the summer by posting some photos of her family from the season, and she shared that she and her children had gotten two new kittens. "Summer prolonged... even though I try, I can't let go! Introducing the new adopted family members: Nacho & Rocky Jr.," Carey said on X, formerly Twitter. Per the photo, Moroccan and Monroe seemed smitten with their new kittens.
The twins are well-traveled
Mariah Carey takes her kids with her around the globe. Not only are Moroccan and Monroe Cannon well-traveled thanks to Carey's real estate footprint — Carey has owned places in California, New York, Georgia, and the Bahamas since the twins were born — they've also traveled with her to various locations on her tours. Carey is also sure to get away on vacation with Moroccan and Monroe. The singer has shared footage from her tropical vacations with her kids, and in 2024 she uploaded photos from a trip she and the twins took to China.
Monroe and Moroccan's travels have given them the chance to find inspiration. In 2019, Carey shared a photo of herself and Monroe with the pilots on one of their flights. "Our flight has two females pilots, this is a first for us and so exciting! Had to document the moment with Miss Monroe," Carey said on Instagram of the experience.
Monroe and Moroccan have a close relationship with their father
As noted, Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon divorced in 2016, and Moroccan and Monroe Cannon have split time between the two ever since their separation in 2014. While it seems that the twins spend more time with Carey, they are still close with their father. In 2025, Entertainment Tonight stopped by Nick's home to get a tour, and Moroccan and Monroe were there with him to show the outlet around their house. The footage showed how playful and comfortable Moroccan and Monroe are with their dad, and their house — replete with a theater, candy room, ball pit, and indoor slide — proved to be a place for the twins to have fun with Nick.
Although Nick has a good relationship with Moroccan and Monroe, he has been open about the difficulties he faces in fatherhood. Nick has 12 kids with six different women, and he struggles to spend enough time with them all. "Being a father of multiple kids, it's always the biggest guilt on me is that I don't get to spend enough time with all my children," Nick said on an episode of "The Checkup with Dr. David Agus," as reported by People. "One 'cause I'm constantly working and two because I'm just spread thin." But not having enough time hasn't stopped Nick from forging close relationships with his eldest kids, especially Monroe. "My daughter, really, she's so in tune and in line and wise beyond her years. I got a lot of therapists, but she's probably my best therapist. She keeps me in check," Nick said to People about his daughter in another interview.
They love Christmas as much as their mother does
For years, we've known Mariah Carey as the Queen of Christmas (she even tried to trademark the phrase, but her efforts were denied). "I'm going to tell you that I love Christmas — more than anything," Carey said in an interview with The Standard. "I've always loved it. And being able to incorporate it into what I do as an artist makes that love even more genuine," she added. Since releasing her album "Merry Christmas" in 1994, which included one of the biggest holiday hits of all time, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Carey has been known for her love of all things yuletide, and it's only become stronger in the age of social media. The singer starts celebrating in November, and between holiday concerts and TV specials, Carey is busy spreading Christmas cheer until the end of the year.
Carey is also certain to set aside time to celebrate Christmas with her kids, Moroccan and Monroe Cannon, and they seem to be just as enamored with the holiday as their mother. The twins have begun joining Carey on stage for her holiday performances, always clad in a festive outfit, and they join their mother off stage for holiday activities, like taking a sleigh ride with Santa on Christmas Day. Before Carey had kids, her Christmas Day festivities were a little unorthodox, but since welcoming Moroccan and Monroe, she's opted for a more traditional celebration, capped off with a special meal. "I'm there to make sure everybody has a great dinner. It's important to me that everyone can drink whatever they want and eat whatever they want," Carey said.
Monroe and Moroccan met President Joe Biden
Being the child of two famous celebrities has given Monroe and Moroccan Cannon lots of opportunities, many of which have come from Mariah Carey's love for the Christmas season. In December 2023, President Biden invited Carey to the White House, and the Grammy winner brought her children along with her. Biden greeted Carey by telling her he's a fan, and he told her, "I just want you to know" before playing Carey's hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You," as shown on a video uploaded to Instagram. Biden showed Carey and her kids around the famed residence, posed for a photo with them, and let Carey fix an ornament on one of the trees, making for a unique experience for the entire family.
That wasn't the first time Carey and one of her children has met a president. In 2013, Carey was invited to sing at the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington, D.C., and she brought Monroe with her. As Barack Obama was president at the time, Carey and Monroe got to meet him. Per reports, Moroccan stayed home with his and Monroe's father, Nick Cannon.