Wayne Brady Comes Out as Pansexual, Says He’s ‘Living My Best Life’
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The Masked Singer Season 2 winner Wayne Brady got honest with fans this week, as he came out as pansexual. Brady wrote on social media that he’s “living his best life,” and he also opened up about his journey in a conversation with People.
The Masked Singer‘s Wayne Brady Comes Out as Pansexual
Brady told People that he identifies as pansexual, meaning he’s attracted to people regardless of their gender. “Bisexual — with an open mind!” is another way the star described it to the magazine. He added that he “couldn’t say if I was bisexual” because “I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything.”
“So, 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,” Brady explained. “Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place. 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.”
Brady (who finished in third place on Dancing with the Stars last year) also shared his identity with fans on social media, posting a funny video of himself lip-syncing to “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion. He wrote in the post’s caption that he wants “to be free to love whomever I want.”
“I was so afraid of having my manhood questioned, but screw that,” Brady added. “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!”
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Brady First Came Out to His Ex-Wife
Brady’s ex-wife Mandie Taketa was the first person he came out to. As she told People, “I just said, ‘Great.’ As I knew coming out would help him be happier.” Brady, Taketa, their daughter Maile, and Taketa’s partner Jason Fordham are currently filming a Hulu reality show about their blended family.
The Let’s Make a Deal host told People that Robin Williams’ death by suicide in 2014 “really impacted me,” and he started speaking out more about mental health. He said he began “owning up to things that maybe I’d either repressed, suppressed, or just didn’t wanna deal with.”
Brady went to therapy and “was treated for love addiction,” which made him ask, “What am I looking for in these people that I can’t find in myself?” He started to wonder if he was gay, and he said he “dealt with the shame” every day as he worried about people discovering his identity.
Right now, Brady is trying to “be the best Wayne Brady that everybody wants and expects.” He added, “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.”
