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In a recent and exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine, the Let’s Make A Deal host Wayne Brady addressed many general and personal topics including his sexuality, self-love, family life, childhood and mental health. Here’s some of the revelations made in the interview:
What is Wayne Brady’s sexuality?
Wayne Brady has come out as pansexual, or as he puts it – “bisexual, with an open mind”! The entertainer described the term in his own words in the interview, saying that he chose the pan label “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. Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place. ” His family’s reactions to the revelation were largely positive. In the interview, Brady stated that he told his ex-wife Mandie Taketa, with whom he shares two children, first, and that her reaction was “great” since she “knew coming out would help him be happier.” His biological daughter with Taketa, Maile, said that her reaction to Brady’s sexuality was primarily a shrug. “I just said, ‘Okay,'” she recalls with a wide, happy smile.
“In doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, I couldn’t say if I was bisexual, because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything… 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.”
Wayne Brady
What has Wayne Brady said about mental health?
He started the topic off by mentioning Robin Williams’ 2014 passing and how it affected and motivated him to seek help on his own issues. “I got involved in certain groups, like Glenn Close’s group, Bring Change to Mind, being very vocal about mental health. And not just the buzzword of mental health, but really what do I have to do to function in this big world and still be okay with yourself and more importantly, to love yourself so that you don’t hurt yourself? Not even just physically hurting yourself, but not taking care of yourself because you are depressed and frightened and weighed down.” He then adds that he’s been diagnosed and treated for “love addiction. It’s a part of my journey. I had to start examining why I was looking for myself and happiness in a slew of people.” He then found the root cause to be childhood trauma.
Later in the interview, Wayne Brady disclosed his relationship status and added the reason behind seeking therapy and mental health help for his issues. “If I’m healthy, then I can go onstage at Let’s Make A Deal and be the best Wayne Brady that everybody wants and expects. I can be the best dad that Maile needs. I can be the best friend to Mandie, the best son to my mother, and one day, the best partner to someone, because I’m doing this for me. Not dating yet though! I am single, but it’s not about being with someone right now. I’ve got some work to do still. Then, Wayne as a single, open-minded pansexual can make a decision and be free and open to other people,” he finished.