Mariah Carey Announces Pregnancy, Reveals Past Miscarriage

Oct. 28, 2010 — -- It's official: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon will soon be welcoming what might be a pint-size musical prodigy into their family.

In an "Access Hollywood" interview airing tonight, Carey, 41, confirmed what many celebrity watchers have been suspecting for months -- she's pregnant.

"Yes, we are pregnant, this is true!" Carey told "Access Hollywood's" Billy Bush of the baby that is due this spring. She and Cannon spoke with Bush at their New York City apartment. "It's been a long journey. It's been tough, because I've been trying to hold on to a shred of privacy."

Carey said that after months of media speculation, she decided it was time to come clean.

"At this point, there is no choice. I either talk or I hibernate," she said.

Carey revealed that part of the reason she and Cannon kept her pregnancy a secret is because she had a miscarriage two years ago.

"It kind of shook us both and took us into a place that was really dark and difficult," Carey said. "When that happened ... I wasn't able to even talk to anybody about it. That was not easy."

Now, she and Cannon are ecstatic about their first child. Carey said she wants to keep the sex of the baby a surprise -- even to her and Cannon -- but the couple isn't sure they'll able to stand the suspense.

"The greatest gift on earth is a child," Cannon said. "We've had names picked out from the first day we met and we want to stay true to that."

A clip of the three-part interview aired on NBC's "Today" show this morning.

For months, Carey and Cannon dodged speculation about her expanding figure. Last week, at a New York City listening party for her new holiday album, "Merry Christmas II You," Carey wore a navy blue, knit, empire waist dress adorned with matching sequins and ruffles that revealed little of her mid section. A podium conveniently concealed her stomach while she spoke.