Wayne Brady Reflects on How Coming Out as Pansexual Has Made Him a 'Better' Parent (Exclusive)
- - Wayne Brady Reflects on How Coming Out as Pansexual Has Made Him a 'Better' Parent (Exclusive)
Toria SheffieldJanuary 17, 2026 at 6:00 PM
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Wayne Brady -
Wayne Brady opened up to PEOPLE about how his life has changed since coming out as pansexual
The actor and comedian, 53, said the decision to come out has made him "better" in multiple areas of life, including as a parent
Brady came out as pansexual in 2023
Wayne Brady is getting candid about how life has changed since he came out as pansexual.
The actor and comedian, who came out in 2023, shared his thoughts during a recent PEOPLE in 10 interview. During the conversation, Brady revealed that life has changed for the better since he publicly embraced his most authentic self — and said that he hopes his decision to come out will have a positive impact on others as well.
“It hasn't changed in the big sense of, ‘Oh I’m out dating and whatnot,’ because really, I'm kind of [keeping] to myself,” Brady, 53, began.
He continued, “I'm a believer in really trying to help the next generation. And I think that if there's any little black [or] brown kid growing up in any hood — any town USA — [who] feels bad about themselves or ashamed about themselves or less than, I hope that if they see me, and if they're familiar with me, like, ‘Oh, that's Wayne. And he just said what? Maybe I can be verbal about myself. So I don't have to carry that rock.’ ”
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Wayne Brady and daughter Maile Masako Brady in 2024
“And that's the way I feel,” he added. “I feel lighter, because I'm me. That lets me be a better actor. Lets me be a better performer onstage. Lets me be a better dad. Lets me be a better partner to someone someday. I'm happier, I'm brighter.
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Brady is dad to daughter Maile Masako Brady, 22, whom he shares with ex-wife Mandie Taketa.
The Let’s Make a Deal host opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about his road to self-discovery in August 2023.
“I am pansexual,” he said at the time, meaning that he is attracted to persons regardless of their sex or gender.
“Bisexual — with an open mind!” he added with a chuckle.
He explained that for him, “pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary. Being able to be attracted across the board.”
“And, I think, at least for me, for right now, that is the proper place. I took pan to mean that not only can I be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but I could be attracted to the person that is there,” he said.
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Wayne Brady hosting ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ on CBS
He added that the death of fellow performer Robin Williams in 2014 served as an impetus to begin working on his mental health.
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“Once I opened that door to myself, though, I had to start learning about myself, and I had to start owning up to things that maybe I'd either repressed, suppressed, or just didn't wanna deal with. I've done a lot of work on a lot of other things until now, one of the last things on that checklist was: What's one of the last things that you need to be really happy and to be truly, authentically yourself?" he said.
Brady added that he's now simply trying to be the “most Wayne Brady” he can be.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
