Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa’s son Zillion diagnosed with autism
Nick Cannon and Abby De La Rosa have revealed their son Zillion was recently diagnosed with autism.
On World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April, the non-monogamous couple announced on Instagram that their two-year-old son had recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
According to the Mayo Clinic, ASD is defined as a condition that affects a person’s brain development in a way that impacts how they perceive and socialise with others. This leads to issues with social interaction and communication. The autism spectrum has a wide range of symptoms varying in severity.
In the caption, the pair celebrated their son’s “unique energy” and his “dynamic” nature.
“Today our family recognises World Autism Awareness Day which is beyond meaningful to us because our amazing two-year-old, Zillion, was recently diagnosed with ASD - joining the unique energy of others like Niko Telsa [sic], Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Michael Angelo, just to name a few dynamic individuals,” they wrote in a joint post on the platform. “Our beautiful boy experiences life in 4D and teaches us something new everyday!”
They added: “His love, strength and brilliance light up every room he enters! We are blessed that God had placed such an amazing spirit under our guardianship and we have accepted this assignment wholeheartedly!”
The pair concluded the post by asking for “a world of acceptance and compassion” in light of the impact the disorder has had on many families and children.
The post included a video of the Wild ‘N Out host donning an Easter bunny costume while playing with Zillion and his twin brother, Zion, as well as their younger sister, Beautiful, during an Easter egg hunt that included glowing eggs.
Cannon reportedly spent Easter with 11 of his children, several of who he shares with different women.
Besides his children with De La Rosa, the America’s Got Talent host also shares twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with his ex-wife and singer, Mariah Carey. He’s also welcomed Rise Messiah, Powerful Queen, and Golden Sagon with model Brittany Bell. He’s also welcomed Legendary Love with Selling Sunset star Bre Tiesi, and Onyx with LaNisha Cole. Not only that, but he shares Halo Marie with Alyssa Scott, with who he shared son Zen, who died of brain cancer as an infant.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the host noted that holidays are his “favourite time of year,” marking a special time for him and his large brood.
“It’s all about the kids, so, you’ll definitely see us doing some fun, over-the-top stuff,” he explained to ET in November of last year.