Nick Cannon Denies He Jokingly Proposed To Ashanti At 2021 VMAs: 'This Ain't Me'

Nick Cannon broke his silence after making headlines for his proposal stunt to Ashanti at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.

Cannon, 40, was photographed on bended knee while kissing Ashanti's hand at the 2021 VMAs. However, the "Gigolo" hitmaker denied that the man who jokingly proposed to Ashanti was him.

The "Masked Singer" host took to Instagram and shared a side-by-side photo of him and his alter ego, Murda Count Harlem, who showed up at the VMAs. "This Ain't Me!! Y'all Trippin," he added the text on the picture. In the caption, he playfully explained that the man who was seen with Ashanti was not really him.

"Usually I don’t address this social media gossip but after my name was trending WORLDWIDE again for something I didn’t do," he wrote. "I have to say y’all trippin on this on! I have a brand new Talk show coming out [on] September 27th! Why would I go to the VMA’s like this!? I heard this some corny new rapper named @MurdaCountHarlem I see no resemblance #respectfully."

Cannon's fans and followers have mixed opinions on his post. Many of them played along with him and several left face with tears of joy emojis in the comments section because they found his post hilarious.

"I thought this was part of being a comedian, thought it was you," one commented with a laughing emoji.

"Not going to lie, I was confused too. Thanks for clarifying Nick," another added with a face with tears of joy emoji.

Meanwhile, many teased Cannon that they have proof the man was him. They pointed out the boots that Murda Count Harlem was wearing because Cannon also used them on "Wild 'N Out." Several also said they have the same tattoos.

"It’s the boots from wild n out for me," one commented with multiple face with tears of joy emojis.

"The tattoos tell it all," another added.

"That’s why they say if [you] do a crime and have tattoos [it] is a bad idea," a third netizen wrote.

"Ain’t no hiding them tattoos [N]ick," another wrote.

"Your Mariah Boots gave it away sir," a different user wrote with laughing emoji.

Meanwhile, Ashanti, for her part, wasn't aware that Cannon and Murda Count Harlem were the same person. "I didn’t even know that was [you]!!" she wrote on Instagram Monday.