Nick Cannon has hit out at reports of trouble in his marriage to Mariah Carey.

The America's Got Talent host denied that he had said that there was "trouble in paradise".

Reports emerged last month that Nick had said he and Mariah, who wed in 2008 and have twins together, had been living in separate houses.

Now Nick has tweeted: "I have personally been absent from social media for the past few months for obvious reasons but I feel the need to finally speak up."

He said that he had never made a statement about his marriage.

Nick admitted that the pair are going through a "difficult time" and asked fans to "respect my family and this process".

But he said: " What infuriates me most is to hear people slander @MariahCarey . I will forever be in debted to her for blessing me with our children...

"I will always love her unconditionally for this and so much more. @MariahCarey is an amazing mother and I trust her wholeheartedly."

He added: "I love @MariahCarey and that will never change!!!

"'Trouble in Paradise' is the dumbest phrase I've ever heard! I would never say that s**t."