Wayne Brady comes out as pansexual: 'Free to love whomever I want'
Wayne Brady announced Monday that he identifies as pansexual and is embracing a journey of self-discovery.
The "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" performer shared the news with a hilarious TikTok video set to Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" on Monday.
"As someone who gets to bring joy to others daily on tv, it's been ironic that I don't experience it as much as I'd like," he wrote in the caption. "I advocate mental health for all and a part of that is self transparency. In doing my work, I've come to see a few truths, one of them being that I want to be free to love whomever I want. This truth makes me Pan and part of the lgbtq+ family."
"It's scary as hell to say out loud but here it is. The people I admire the most are the ones brave enough to be themselves unapologetically. This shouldn't shake anyone's world, but if it bothers you at all, that's your business," he continued. "I was so afraid of having my manhood questioned, but screw that. 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!"
In an interview with People, the 51-year-old opened up about his evolving understanding of his sexuality.
"I am pansexual," Brady shared, clarifying that his attraction extends beyond gender or sex, adding, "Bisexual -- with an open mind!"
In his quest to comprehend his identity, the "Let's Make A Deal" host said he grappled with the term "bisexual," feeling it didn't wholly capture his experience. "Pansexual" resonated with him, he said, as it encompassed his attraction to individuals across the spectrum of gender identities and orientations.
Brady said he's "now trying to be the most Wayne Brady I can be."
"I don't know about most, actually. I’m still coming together," he explained. "I can be the best dad that [daughter] Maile needs. I can be the best friend to [ex-wife] 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," he added with a laugh. "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."
