Nick Cannon: Sex claim from 'That's So Raven' star is 'a cry out for help'

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Nick Cannon says he was initially amused by recent inflammatory comments made by "That's So Raven" actor Orlando Brown, but they've ultimately left him sad and concerned.

Brown, who is best known for his role on the famed Disney Channel sitcom, in more recent years has made headlines for erratic behaviors. The latest among them is a selfie video in which he alleges that Nick Cannon once performed oral sex on him.

Cannon responded to the unexpected claim with a lengthy Instagram post, saying he at first found the story "hilarious": "But then after putting a little cognitive effort and analytical thought to the situation,I figured what a great opportunity for a 'teachable moment'!"

He began, "First off let me say I am praying for the young brother Orlando even though I don’t really know him personally, I have always loved and enjoyed his talent and have been a fan of his past work."

Brown's antics, according to Cannon, are "a cry out for help." He finds them symptomatic of deep-rooted issues in the Hollywood system: "This is another crucial example of when we allow our young artists to be prematurely exposed by this demonic business and left out to fend for themselves."

Above: Orlando Brown, center, on Disney Channel's "That's So Raven." Credit: Getty

Cannon, who also got his start in the industry as a child, did not specifically call out any companies or executives, instead targeting the broader implications of difficult "Hollywood circumstances."

"I don’t know if there are any real leaders or solid individuals in this young man’s life but let’s embrace him and tighten him up so he doesn’t become another lost victim to these hollywood circumstances," he wrote, adding that it "hurts my heart to see that we have allowed Orlando, along with various other young gifted performers we grew up loving, to just dwindle away after these corporations made their billions off of them."

He continued, "Now due to substance abuse and diagnosed psychiatric disorders our loved ones are now aimlessly begging for the attention they were once given, instead of the help they actually need. All while we sit back and just laugh."

Cannon then called out several media outlets for capitalizing on Brown's initial post, saying it's particularly "asinine and deplorable" for black-centric outlets to use "cannibalistic tactics" to "tear one another down for click bait."

In an apparent response to Cannon's impassioned post, Brown's girlfriend said that he has a tendency to succumb to pressure to be outrageous, "despite it wreaking HAVOC in his real life." She then encouraged fans to support Brown's "personal healing and growth" in part by buying his music.