Nick Cannon's Instagram post from this past Thursday sent the Internet into a frenzy as his 5.9 million followers and countless fans wondered if he was really engaged to model Bre Tiesi, or if the post was just a clever publicity stunt.
The Wild 'n Out host shared a photo of the couple embracing along with a closeup image of him opening a ring box containing a massive pear-shaped diamond. The caption read, "I said I would never do it again but… Finally doing what the world wants me to do…" He punctuated his sentiments with an engagement ring emoji.
By Friday evening, Cannon had come clean on Entertainment Tonight, admitting that he and Tiesi were not engaged. The teaser was intended to promote the official music video for his new release, "Eyes Closed." He told the viewers of ET that the song about “just going in with your eyes closed and being a hopeless romantic.”
In the video, Cannon and Tiesi are enjoying a romantic getaway in a luxury suite. He has the ring box hidden behind a potted plant on the dresser. The scene starts in the morning, but he doesn't get the courage to pop the question until that evening. The large pear-shaped stone is prominently shown as the couple embraces on the balcony with the city lights in the background. (In real life, Cannon and Tiesi are in a relationship and she is pregnant with his eighth child.)
Cannon confessed to BET that filming a video about getting engaged was "very scary" and that tying the knot again wasn't part of his near-term plans.
"That's a big step, especially [with] all that I got going on in my life. Just the hint of it shocked the world," he told BET. "If imma do that, I got to be really ready and prepared."
The "Eyes Closed" video ends with Cannon dressed in a white suit, playing a white grand piano. Eagle-eyed fans will notice that he seems to wearing his famous $2 million diamond-encrusted shoes — the same patent leather Tom Fords that he donned for the season finale of NBC's America's Got Talent in September of 2014.
Valued at $2 million and dripping with 14,000 full-cut diamonds set in white gold, the slip-ons were ordered by Cannon to deliver a “wow factor” to the Season 9 finale.
At the time, Beverly Hills jeweler Jason Arasheben told Matt Lauer of the Today Show that the shoes took 2,000 man-hours to create and feature 340 carats in diamonds. Lauer, who modeled the diamond loafers during the broadcast, joked that his calves were getting a workout.
“They are heavy,” Lauer said.
Cannon has publicly stated the shoes will eventually be sold, with he proceeds going to charity. For now, they seem to remain part of his extensive shoe collection.
In June 2017, Cannon showed off his diamond footwear for an online episode of Complex Closets. He revealed that he owns stunt-double shoes decorated with Swarovski crystals. They look similar to the diamond shoes, except for a thin strip of black leather that wraps the heel. The stunt-double shoes allow him to walk around freely without having to worry about extra security.
Credits: Nick Cannon "Eyes Closed" images via Instagram / Nick Cannon. Cannon at the piano screen capture via Youtube.com / Nick Cannon. Diamond shoes image via Instagram / jasonofbeverlyhills.