Wayne Brady has spoken openly about why he kept his sexuality a secret from his loved ones.
The How I met your mother The actor first publicly announced that he identifies as pansexual during an interview withPeople in August 2023. “I’m pansexual. (I’m) bisexual – with an open mind,” he told the outlet.
“So, I came to pansexual because – and I know I’m completely confusing the dictionary meaning – pan to me means being able to be attracted to anyone who identifies as gay, straight, bi, transgender or nonbinary. Being able to be attracted in all areas.”
Recently, Brady, his ex-wife and business partner Mandie Taketa, their daughter Maile (21) and Mandie’s partner Jason Michael Fordham spoke with ET about how they function as a family.
Brady was once asked why he waited over 10 years to come out as pansexual to Taketa. “The answer is simple – because I didn’t know! For example, I didn’t even know what it was called,” Brady said.
“It’s not like I kept this secret to myself and went out at night like a pansexual Batman.”
Brady and Taketa married in 1999 and divorced in 2008. A year later, she met Fordham, who was one of Brady’s backup dancers at the time. They currently have one child together, a two-year-old son named Sundance. Brady also has a son named Val Henry with his ex-girlfriend Tina.
“I didn’t know what it was called, because I think we’ve come so far with the vocabulary of those terms, right? And understanding and acceptance,” Brady continued. “Because back then it was more like, ‘Are you gay and are you not?'”
“Knowing that I might find this person attractive, but that’s a man, but I also find this woman attractive, but I’ve also learned that it’s not just as black and white as those two things. For me, it’s taken all this time and all this work and all this therapy and all this struggle in therapy to get away from the language that’s instilled in you,” he added.
Taketa was the first person Brady came out to. Brady recalled her telling him that it was “great” for him to discover his identity because she “knew that coming out would help him be happier.”
“I’m still trying to get myself together. But when I’m healthy, I can go on stage at Let’s make a deal and to be the best Wayne Brady that everyone wants and expects from him,” Brady said.
“I can be the best father Maile needs. I can be the best friend to Mandie, the best son to my mother and one day the best partner to someone else because I’m doing this for myself,” he said.
He added at the time: “I’m not with anyone yet! I’m single, but I’m not interested in being with anyone right now. I still have a lot of work to do. Then Wayne can make a decision as a single, open-minded pansexual and be free and open to other people.”
