Marlon Wayans Opens Up About Supporting His Transgender Child: 'I Grew The Most That I Ever Did'
Marlon Wayans has undergone significant changes as a father over the past few years.
At 51, the popular comedian, actor, and father of three is returning with a new standup special titled, "Good Grief," set to debut on Amazon Prime on June 4. This marks his fourth special in his relatively recent dive into standup comedy, with much of his material drawn from his personal life, including his journey to understand and accept his transgender son.
"I'm very vulnerable nowadays onstage," Marlon shared with PEOPLE. "I don't know why it took me so long to do standup. Now I can't stop." Mostly, he's found healing in the humor: "That's my therapy. Life happens, and I go, 'What's funny about it?' I'm literally trying to rescue myself."
Wayans is the father of three children: sons Kai, 24, and Shawn, 22, with his ex Angela Zackery, and daughter Axl, 18 months, with his ex Brittany Moreland. Wayans recounted that he embarked on a journey of self-discovery when his eldest child, Kai, came out as transgender.
The 'Little Man' actor described his transformation as a shift "from defiance to acceptance." He noted that this profound change happened within a week, a week during which he experienced tremendous personal growth. He learned to appreciate the true purpose of parenthood and the beauty of unconditional love, emphasizing that his child's happiness is what matters most to him.
Wayans has incorporated this personal story into his standup routine, aiming to provide not just humor but valuable lessons.
His son also supported this decision. "I have a contract with my kids: 'Whatever you do in life, just know that there's a possibility I'm going to find some humor and talk about it,'" Marlon said.
