Wayne Brady is speaking his truth.
The 51-year-old Let’s Make a Deal host addressed his sexuality in a new interview with People published on Monday evening.
“I am pansexual,” he told the outlet, before adding, “bisexual–with an open mind!”
“I came to pansexual because — and I know that I’m completely messing up the dictionary meaning —but to me, pan means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transsexual or non-binary,” he said. “Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place.”
Brady has been married twice, both times to women. He elaborated on the internal struggle he felt his entire life and how homophobia kept him from being able to live authentically.
“Let’s be really honest: I’ve also been attracted to certain men in my life, but I’ve always pushed that aside because of how I was raised, and because I live in today’s world, and it’s scary as sh*t,” the Whose Line Is It Anyway star noted. “What’s the fastest way to hurt another man? I’m gonna call you out of your name. I’m gonna call you gay. I’m gonna emasculate you. I’m gonna use the F-word. I learned that very early from the people around me, they’re like, ‘Oh, so those are bad things? Yeah. You, you don’t wanna be that.'”
He continued: “So, what does it mean if I feel something? I don’t think I’m gay, but what if I feel something for another [man]… That’s still gay. I was already bullied about a bunch of other s–t. I didn’t wanna add a top hat on top of that suit.”
Despite having friends and family in the LGBTQ+ community, he felt shame every day of his life and worried people would find out he wasn’t exclusively heterosexual.
“I’ve always had that community, but I’ve always felt like a sham because I wasn’t being forthcoming with myself,” Brady told the publication. “I could speak out about Black issues because I can’t hide that. And you can play at being an ally, but until the day that you can truly say, ‘This is who I am, and I wanna stand next to you,” that’s not… I always wanted that day to come.'”
That day has come and he has full support of his ex-wife Mandie Taketa, 47, and their daughter, Maile, 20.
In fact, the entire family joined in to celebrate Brady’s announcement by filming a musical TikTok video set to Celine Dion’s 1996 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”
In the clip, Brady lip syncs to Dion as his family dances and waves a Pride flag in the background. By the end, the Emmy winner is decked out in a wig with a Beyonce-level fan blowing confetti into his mouth.
“The people I admire the most are the ones brave enough to be themselves unapologetically,” Brady captioned the video on Instagram. “This shouldn’t shake anyone’s world, but if it bothers you at all, that’s your business: I was so afraid of having my manhood questioned, but screw that. A ‘real man’ in my eyes, isn’t afraid to be honest and happy. From now on, I’ll be over here living my best life!”
In addition to his work in television, Brady also starred in the Tony-winning Broadway musical Kinky Boots as Simon/Lola in 2015.
In the last year, he’s appeared in the Showtime series American Gigolo, hosted the American Music Awards, and was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Welcome to the family, Wayne!
Related:
Peruvian reality star Nicola Porcella comes out as pansexual & now everyone is thirsting after him
The former professional futbol player revealed he’s part of the LGBTQ+ community while filming a ‘Big Brother’-esque reality show in Mexico.
humancobras666
Always knew!!!! I said it many years ago!!! LOL.
About time girl.
about time!
I still say gay though. Come on. i mean….come on.
JClark
Can’t we respect what he has to say about himself without interjecting our own prejudices? I’ve always thought he was a great entertainer, and I like him even better now for being open about his journey.
ShaverC
Same here, he’s not bi, just gay.
Donston
It does get tiresome how much with men who have dimensions/fluidity focus on being “not ‘gay” when they “come out”. It’s also exhausting how many queer men focus on being a “real man”. I get that these are common struggles, and I get why they exist. But there’s also not enough critique towards the fragility of masculine ego or towards the paranoia of “gay”. Wayne doesn’t even critique them in this statement. Still, his statement did seem heartfelt and honest. And good luck to him, his ambitions, his lifestyle, and wherever he might currently be in the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum.
PubisHairus
I see it more as a million tiny cracks with each coming out.
Kangol2
It’s heartfelt, it’s where he is right now, so please respect it.
And yes, homophobia and fragility around the term “gay” and ideas of being a gay man are still major barriers for a lot of men with queer dimensions, but he also essentially said he’s bi, and is open to the widest array, so pan seems appropriate for him, for now.
More power to him and welcome to the family, Wayne!
Donston
My point was not that he needs to embrace a “gay” identity. Hell, I’m borderline anti identity at this point. And I constantly preach the individuality of “sexuality” and the gender, sexual, affection, romantic, emotion, commitment spectrum. The point I was making is that too many men make their “coming out” about being “not ‘gay”, which only furthers certain issues. Also, that there’s too much obsession with being a “real man”, and there’s not enough critique towards that. Instead, many seem to have accepted that aspect of masculine insecurity as just a regular part of “queer-dom” that really shouldn’t be criticized.
GlobeTrotter
I wish society would finally get over this compulsion to “come out”. Just live your life the way you see fit as long as no third parties are harmed in the process. How you live your life and whom you choose to love is no one’s business but your own. This tiresome ritual of “coming out” and the tremendous anxiety that comes with it is ridiculous and completely unnecessary. Just be yourself and live your best life – that’s it! No need to “come out” to anyone but yourself.
abfab
@GlobeTrotter.
In writing, you just came out and made it everyone’s ”business” but your own. It was completely unnecessary. ”No need to “come out” to anyone but yourself.”
Fascinating stuff.
PubisHairus
@GlobeTrotter, tell that to your conservative friends who make “coming out” still very necessary in the year 2023.
abfab
When heterosexuals stop coming out, then we can too.
ShaverC
abfab, Straight people don’t “come out”.
dbmcvey
Bull. You can’t go a day without hearing some heterosexual man talking about their wife, talking about all the women they’ve had. Or some heterosexual woman droning on and on about their husband and their lives. It’s disgusting.
ShaverC
dbmcvey, That’s not “coming out” that’s just talking about their partner. If I mention my partner I do the same.
Den
“That’s not “coming out” that’s just talking about their partner. If I mention my partner I do the same.”
You do the same because a lot of people with a lot more intelligence, bravery and political acumen did the things you would be to chickenshit to do. You right wingers would gladly go back into the closet if your overlords demanded it. You’d gladly paly Capo and load the cattle cars if asked. We see you, we know what you are and how deep your hatred/self hatred runs.
” No need to “come out” to anyone but yourself.”
“I wish society would finally get over this compulsion to “come out”.
A man was stabbed to death in NYC for dancing to Beyoncé. Your comments put some of that blood on your hands. You acquiesce to the notion that heterosexuals’ are the arbiters of all things. You acquiesce to the notion that we owe our lives and freedom to their largesse. There is a need to come out, and will be a need to come out until even the right wingers understand our lives are as valuable and sacred as theirs. Clearly you have not yet learned that lesson.
dbmcvey
And people think you’re shoving your sexuality down their throat. Get a clue ShaverClueless.
abfab
The big take away here is the poor bastard that is Shavers partner. Have pity.
Kangol2
Den, you read Globes and Shavey for the gods. Thank you!
GlobeTrotter
It seems my post has touched quite a few nerves, which is a shame since more people got offended for the sake of getting offended rather than trying to understand the message in my post. Just to repeat, I find it very alarming that this pseudo-psycho-babble which requires us to “come out” and find “representation” has taken such a poisonous hold on modern society. It is a VERY DANGEROUS doctrine as it teaches us to find validation OUTSIDE OURSELVES. This is wrong and dangerous on so many levels, not the least of which is that it leads to depression when that external validation is no longer forthcoming. This idea of external validation is what keeps people, especially young people, weak and dependent on the permission of others to be themselves.
A far healthier approach is to seek validation WITHIN YOURSELF. Whatever you feel like doing, do it. Whomever you feel like loving, love them. You owe no one an explanation or justification for who you are. As long as no harm is brought to third parties, people should be free to seek their own self-fulfillment regardless of what others feel or think. There’s NO NEED to come out to anyone but yourself. There’s NO NEED to announce one’s sexuality to the world, as we do NOT need the world’s permission or validation to be who we are. Teaching people, especially young people, that they need to “come out” and they need to have “representation” to be who they are, is WRONG! People are who they are, regardless of what the world thinks, and no one needs the permission of another to express themselves as they see fit, or be the person who they truly are.
If you love someone, and that love is reciprocated, then be happy together. If you want to hold hands, then do it. If you want to screw each other’s brains out, then do it. Everything is permissible, so long as no third party is harmed in the process. We do NOT need to “come out” to the world, or to ANYONE for that matter, simply because it’s none of the world’s business whom we choose to love. That’s why especially so many young people are so riddled with anxiety nowadays, they simply can’t cope with the pressure and compulsion to seek outside validity or conform to society’s ideas of sexuality and gender. They’re literally worrying themselves to death!
Just be yourself, live a good life, love whom you choose, be kind to others, die and go to heaven. That’s it! No need to “come out”, no need to seek out “representation”, no need for labels, no need for anyone’s validation or approval. You validate yourself, as you’re the one who has to live in your own skin. Life is really that simple.
humancobras666
are you out? did you come out?
coming out helps spotlight that there are more of us out there. more celebs coming out helps show the average person watching their show, “Oh he is too or she is too?” What it does is show the average person that we’re everywhere when they think we’re in the shadows. Come out is important because it says “I am just as important as anyone else and i’m not different”, “I’m not hidden”. Homophobia is largely based on thinking we’re a minority within a minority. Thinking that we are not many so keep us away from the rest of society. So telling people “coming out” isn’t important shows you’re saying your life isn’t important. That’s your feelings. My life is important and I am proud to say I am gay. It makes us visible. Get it? If you don’t. Maybe we don’t need you on our side.
GlobeTrotter
@humancobras666: “Maybe we don’t need you on our side.”
You don’t need anyone on your side. As I’ve taken great pains to point out, your sense of validation should come from within, not without. You have no obligation to prove anything to the world, nor do you need the world’s approval to exist or to achieve personal fulfilment.
Your questions are based on the harmful paradigm from this TikTok era that teaches us that our value is dependent on and determined by outside factors. I’m trying to correct that dangerous doctrine by reminding us that our value is inborn, inviolable and comes from within.
Against this backdrop, what purpose would be served by this ridiculous ritual of “coming out” to people who have no importance, no influence and no meaning in my life? My sexuality is a matter between me and the people I love, period.
Prinny
Meh another straight guy with extra steps
Donston
Who you commit to and especially who you marry will always outweigh everything else. While based on this statement, it’s impossible to know if he merely has attractions beyond cis women or if he’s ever had legit non hetero relationships, real non-hetero passions, romantic affections, emotional investment, commitment ambitions. Still, even if he is a “straight-ish’ guy with some sexual quirks”, he clearly wanted to get this off of his chest, and he has a right to. It only becomes “problematic” if he starts leaning into a hyper queer image and seemingly starts exploiting “gays”.
Kangol2
Wayne Brady is many things but “straight” ain’t one of them!
humancobras666
He’s just gay. We all knew it. That’s all.
Mister P
In the future it will be understood that everyone is some degree of Pansexual and it won’t be such a defining characteristic and there won’t be a need to “come out”.
Until then we are somewhat defined by our sexuality. Like it or not.
abfab
In the U.S of A? I don’t think so.
DBMC
Considering the right wing is still coming after our rights, there’s a reason for it.
abfab
They have nothing better to do…..
ShaverC
Mister P, There is no such thing as “pansexual”, it’s called being bisexual.
DBMC
The term “pansexual” has been around at least since 1914. What does it matter whether someone identifies as pansexual or bisexual.
ShaverC
DBMC, I found this online, “pansexual and pansexualism were first attested in 1914 (spelled pan-sexualism), coined by opponents of Sigmund Freud to denote the idea “that the sex instinct plays the primary part in all human activity, mental and physical”
So not the same usage.
Why it matters is because being bisexual is a thing because there are only two sexes one can be sexually attracted. Being “pansexual” is not a thing, it means nothing.
DBMC
Word meanings don’t get frozen once the word is coined.
I don’t understand the point of making a big deal over this. If it’s just to cause drama it’s really not worth it.
ShaverC
DBMC, You alluded that the “term” pansexual was used as it is today, since 1914. Words do change meanings but the way it’s being used today is a nonsensical definition because we already have a word for someone who’s sexually attracted to both sexes, bisexual.
abfab
‘because we already have a word for that ‘, says the great and powerful dictator.
dbmcvey
I don’t understand why you get so riled up over someone using a word to describe themselves when it doesn’t affect you in any way.
missvamp
agreed. but i am happy for more pansexual visibility.
ShaverC
dbmcvey, I’m not “riled up”, I just find it ridiculous when people to make up words for who they are, when there is a perfectly good word that already fits. They’re not unique or special in any way, they are the same as others.
People are allowed to have their delusions, but I don’t have to play along with them.
Den
“I don’t understand why you get so riled up over someone using a word to describe themselves when it doesn’t affect you in any way.”
Although right wingers routinely use words in ways that have nothing to do with their accepted meaning, when words describe concepts they cannot wrap their little brains around, they freak out. Shaver cannot understand that even though there are only two sets genitals (except in the case of the genetic damage that causes intersex conditions) there is a spectrum of gender expression. It scares the shot put of him as it does most right wingers who need the world to be simple and dichotomous.
Den
Shit, not shot :-).
ShaverC
Den, “Gender expression” doesn’t scare me, what someone thinks they are is meaningless to me. As far as a person’s sex is concerned, biology makes it very easy.
dbmcvey
You are riled up. You’re getting upset over an adjective someone chose to describe themselves. Why do you care? It doesn’t affect you.
ShaverC
dbmcvey, I can assure you I’m neither riled up nor upset. It’s just common sense. In my head I feel like I’m 33, but when I look in the mirror, I’m not, and I don’t try and force other people to treat me like I’m 33.
Den
“’Gender expression’” doesn’t scare me, what someone thinks they are is meaningless to me. As far as a person’s sex is concerned, biology makes it very easy.”
So you think so much of your obviously meager intellectual abilities that you are the arbiter of what constitutes a reasonable identity for other people? I suspect that is a function of fear. Right wingers usually have no way to deal with things beyond their understanding other than fear: you folks have no skills to evaluate anything critically. That is why you love autocrats. That is why you cling to xenophobia. That is why you insist on closely circumscribed gender roles…usually seeing them as “God ordained”.
The modern world must be awfully hard for you! Social progress must be terrifying. And I bet you are way younger than me, despite how ossified your world view is.
ShaverC
Den, I’m an atheist so no god is scaring me into anything. You sound a little unhinged.
abfab
Shaver………It was just a typo, yes? Surely you meant 33 1/3.
God help this lost soul. PLEASE!
DBMC
I’m glad he’s coming out as bisexual, or pansexual. I think Bi people are often invisible, depending on who their partners are they’re assumed to be gay or straight. I’ve always said more bisexual people need to come out to fight the stigma.
abfab
They only exist to stigmatize. WTF just happened in Ohio?
DBMC
No results yet, of course. I have many friends in Ohio who have been working against it, the Republicans played a lot, doing a “Prop 8” type confusing voting, having an August election after they had said they wouldn’t do them anymore, making it difficult to find out where they need to vote, changing the margin needed for 51% to 60%. Republicans have been really dishonest about this. No surprise.
abfab
Ac to my Clevelandia contact….polls close in about an hour. Along with our human rights.
dbmcvey
I’m so relieved. This was so evil. I’m glad they lost.
Den
Measure 1 has failed on Ohio. This should be a wake up call to all those right wingers who are deluded into thinking they represent US citizens! They represent autocrats, traitors, the super wealthy whose only allegiance is to themselves, theocrats and MAGA cultists…whose total numbers are still a minority!
Kangol2
NO on Issue 1 won by about 13 percentage points (57%-43%), or over 355.000+ votes, i.e., handily.
That is, Ohio voters, including many Republicans, said NO to right-wing billionaires’ and the state GQP’s attempts to rig the system to make it harder to amend Ohio’s Constitution. Their goal was to make it much harder for voters to potentially enshrine a right to abortion in the Constitution this fall.
Their August voting date blew up in their faces, which is great to see. If anyone thinks these folks are not against democracy, just look at their track record. Thank you, Ohio voters, for telling them where to stick it!
abfab
Wonderful!!!
Just.my.opinion
There is just something about Wayne Brady that I find totally repulsive. I cannot watch any movie or television show with him in the cast.
DennisMpls
J.M.O., that’s an interesting take. My feelings are the reverse. I’m a big fan of “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” and his presence is one of the big reasons. He is phenomenally talented, but my appreciations goes beyond that (though not to the sexual). He comes across to me as someone with a great heart, with less narcissism than many actors, and as someone who can easily relate to people of all types. He just makes me involuntarily smile.
SUPREME
something tells me that you’re repulsed by anything darker than light tan.
Den
“something tells me that you’re repulsed by anything darker than light tan.”
It’s like you read my mind!
Kangol2
That’s on you, Miss Thing. He’s incredibly talented and has more range as an actor and comedian than people think. In addition to being handsome, he’s one of the best improv people in the game today.
bigdandd
One word for Brady… UGH!
SUPREME
four words for bigdandd, STFU!!!
wesley8890
Its amazing how a bunch of bitter bitchy gays know someone elses sexuality better than the person themsel
abfab
It’s simply amazing!
Laryagar
Theoretically everyone is somewhere on the spectrum of sexuality. The problem is societal structures. Men and women for thousands of years have been subjugated to artificial structures made by society as a whole, often induced by some influential person or idea. Religion is one source of these ideas, but others have influenced society. Women were often kept restricted to certain roles as were men, often men are ignored because they were seen as benefiting from the structure overall but I can imagine the number of men that were forced to conform with other people’s ideas to sometimes even stay alive let alone get ahead. Wayne mentioned it here, growing up he learned quickly to hide and conform to his neighborhood’s expectations.
The act of “coming out” should not be necessary but it is a psychological release for those that have had to hide for years and decades. It also is helpful to the younger generation to see that people they like also share some traits. Being LGBTQ+ is not an obvious trait that can be immediately identifiable so the tradition of “coming out” was born. The act of coming out is also a show of solidarity towards those that are conservative and want to marginalize LGBTQ+ people again and put them “back in the box” so they are not seen or heard again.
Pietro D
THE SHOW OF SOLIDARITY SHOULD HAVE COME MUCH SOONER, SORRY! Good for Brady for giving us all this rigamarole……. so keep doing whatever makes you happy, bro. You obviously have been doing it for some time unless you are a cloistered monk, but then even cloisterd monks have a way of justifying everything!
mildredspierce
Had a hunch since my “gaydar” went off during lockdown and was bored enough to watch LMAD. Instantly attracted to him. Such a cutie.
SUPREME
we all come out in our own time, not someone else’s. welcome, Wayne.
abfab
Glinda:
Come out, come out wherever you are
And meet the young lady who fell from a star
She fell from the sky, she fell very far
And Kansas she says is the name of the star
Huron132
All I can say is he is a very happy and kind person. I love watching him on LMAD and Line. The man is so talented.
Den
I have never been much of a fan of stand up comedy, but I have to say I always found him engaging, funny and handsome. You never know what celebrities are like in real life, but he just seems like such a nice guy!!
Kangol2
I agree with both of you. And he’s kept his looks as he’s aged and gotten hotter. Very glad to see and hear he’s moving closer to a happier emotional place.
FreddieW
Another straight person hopping on the cool train.
Den
Another bitter queen making assumptions with no reason to.
abfab
Say it fred…………you meant the soul train. And FYI, cool ain’t your bag……..so hang it up.
abfab
And Den, fred is def bitter but he will never be a Queen.
FreddieW
abfab, I’ve never considered myself cool. But it’s undeniable that being LGBTQ is ranked as cool by celebrities.
Kangol2
Except he’s not “straight,” and if LGBTQ were considered “cool” by “celebrities,” far more would come out much sooner. You do realize there are people you watch on TV and in films who are not out but fall somewhere on the queer spectrum, right? And don’t consider it “cool” in the least to be out about who they are. In 2023. Sheesh.
FreddieW
I don’t know about the queer spectrum. I’m gay. If it were possible for me to live happily married to a woman, there would be no reason for my coming out. Coming out to what?
But Mary Wiseman, the red-headed chic from Star Trek Discovery, can’t abide her gay costars getting more attention than she gets, so she comes out as “queer” about a year after marrying a man. And then there’s this dude who has been married twice to females, according to what it says above.
Sorry, I don’t applaud the “me too” attention seekers with opposite sex relationships.
abfab
Oh the irony that is FreddieW.
”it’s all about ME! ME ME ME ME!”
humancobras666
GAY NOT PAN.
He mainly talked about his attraction to MEN. Didn’t mention trans, non-binary.
I guess it’s his baby steps even though we ALL knew he was gay. come on.
abfab
Enough. We get it, you’re another one with a blockage. Have a nice life.
JClark
You would think this is some sort of right wing rag the way everyone jumps on this guy for describing himself a certain way.
abfab
Not everyone. Just the TROLLS.
When will they (THE NARROW-MINDED GOP GAY TROLLS) realize that there are BLOGS out there where other bigots will FAWN all over them and their right wing madness. It proves the point…..just because you’re Gay, it does not make you a smarter or better person. We witness this here on a daily basis. It’s interesting.
Troyfight
…Always thought Wayne was so sexy.