Marlon Wayans had to do some soul-searching when his eldest child, Kai, came out as transgender.
“It took me all of a week, and in that week I grew the most that I ever did in my life,” Wayans, 51, told People in an article published Friday, adding that he transitioned from “defiance to acceptance.”
He continued, “You understand the purpose of kids and the beauty of unconditional love. At the end of the day, in my heart, only thing that matters to me is that my child is happy.”
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The “White Chicks” star said that he addresses Kai’s gender transition in his latest stand-up routine “to gift not just laughter but some lessons.”
“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,’” Wayans said, noting that Kai is OK with his dad discussing his personal life in front of an audience.
Wayans — whose new Amazon Prime stand-up special, “Good Grief,” is premiering on June 4 — reflected on his recent journey into the stand-up sphere.
“I’m very vulnerable nowadays onstage,” he admitted. “I don’t know why it took me so long to do stand-up.
He continued, “Now I can’t stop. That’s my therapy. Life happens, and I go, ‘What’s funny about it?’ I’m literally trying to rescue myself.”
Wayans said that he is able to find the “light in the darkness” through comedy.
The actor shares Kai, 24, and son Shawn, 22, with his ex-partner Angela Zackery. He also shares 1-year-old daughter Axl with ex Brittany Moreland.
Waylans said he won’t be discussing his heated custody battle with Moreland in his comedy routine.
“I don’t do public battles,” he said. “You don’t have to be together to let your child grow up in peace. Every child deserves that.”
Wayans revealed that Kai is transgender in November 2023, sharing during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” “I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter Amai is now Kai.”
The father of three admitted to going through a transition from “ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance,” in regards to Kai’s decision.
He called the situation “painful,” but “one of the best hours I could ever imagine.”
