Nick Cannon insists he has "no right" to confirm whether he's dating Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas

He told Billboard magazine's Overheard column: "I have no right to speak about [this] out of respect for her and everybody in the situation. You've got to ask her. It's not my place as a man."

While it was recently claimed Nick, 35, and 46-year-old Chilli have been "hanging out romantically", an insider insisted they are not in an exclusive relationship.

A source said: "Nick and Chilli [have] been hanging out on the low. [They've] been friends for some time and just recently this summer they have been hanging out romantically.

"Chilli is a very mature woman that's been around the music industry for some time and gets it. Nick has always had a crush on her growing up. He thinks she is beautiful.

"They are not an exclusive couple at this time just casually hanging out and seeing where things go."

Nick - who has been friends with Chilli for several years - was previously linked to Nicole Murphy late last year, but a few months ago insisted he doesn't have time to date.

He said: "When can I focus on that? I'm not comfortable being (a) boyfriend."

Although he and Mariah had an amicable split, Nick previously admitted he doubts he will marry again.

He said: "I feel like marriage isn't for everyone. A friend of mine put it the funniest way. He said, 'If you heard that there was a 50/50 chance of living or dying when you jump out of a plane, you probably wouldn't go skydiving.

"There's like a 50/50 chance of a marriage working. If it didn't work out for you the first time, and you still survived it, you probably shouldn't do it again."