Cannon filed divorce papers on Dec. 12, according to TMZ, which first reported the story Friday, noting that Carey had been working on a property settlement for the couple in advance of her husband making the first step in court. The singer and the America's Got Talent host were both spotted without their wedding rings in August, and a source told PEOPLE the pair had been living apart for months.
Carey, in the midst of their split, has been focusing on her career, inking an artist-in-residence deal in Las Vegas where she is set to perform an 18-song set list of all her No. 1 hits at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
During the separation, Carey remained at their Manhattan apartment with the couple's twins, Moroccan and Monroe, who turn 4 in April, while Cannon "has been staying in hotels," the source said.