In a new special, comedic actor Marlon Wayans says he will open up about his son’s transition and the support he is providing. Wayans, widely known for his characters in the 2004 movie White Chicks and the popular series The Wayans Bros., reflected on his family and work life in a November 10 interview with The Breakfast Club. The 51-year-old actor sat down with Charlamagne tha God and company, where he discussed his personal life, most poignantly opening up about his son, Kai. Wayans says Kai was assigned female at birth and has transitioned to male.
In an Instagram post just two days after the interview, on November 12, Wayans shared a photo featuring his family. The image showcases his son, Kai, born in 2000, and Wayans’s former wife and Kai’s mother, Angelica Zachary.
The famed comedian and actor continued to explain his feelings on the need for parents of transgender children to understand their son’s or daughter’s transition fully. Wayans said, “(I talk about) my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance.” The actor continued, “I think there’s a lot of parents out there that need that message, and I know I’m dealing with it.”
Further adding credence to his statements, Wayans explained during his interview on The Breakfast Club that he has plans to explore his understanding with Kai in a new comedy special. Wayans stated that the special, temporarily titled Rainbow Child will take a satirical approach to his experience of fully coming to terms with his son’s gender identity.
Speaking on his journey to accepting Kai’s conversion, Wayans revealed that his son’s transition was effectively “a very painful situation for me. But man, it’s one of the best, funniest hours (of comedy) I probably could ever imagine.” Wayans remained candid about the situation during his interview on The Breakfast Club, saying he is “still working on my pronouns.”
Continuing to comment on his relationship with Kai and the rest of his family, Wayans said, “They know I love them, they see me try, and they’re like, ‘I’m happy.'” More than anything else, the actor stated that he wants his children to feel as “free” as possible. Specifically, he said, “I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves.” Wayans added, “The more you know yourself, the more you can govern yourself. The more you live your truth, the happier your existence.”
The actor went further to address the role that parenting plays in providing the right atmosphere for children to embrace their true selves and the vital impact that proper support has on the well-being of their children. “If they can’t get that in the household with their father and their mother, how the f— do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?” Wayans said. “I’m just so proud of them for being them.” In addition to Kai, Wayans also has a 21-year-old son, Shawn, with Zachary and has been expressive about the importance of acceptance for the whole family.
