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Wayne Brady comes out as pansexual

The "Let's Make a Deal" host said he initially couldn't settle on a label for his sexuality, noting that bisexuality didn't truly describe him.
Wayne Brady
Posted at 12:28 PM, Aug 08, 2023

Wayne Brady is opening up about his sexuality, revealing to People that he is pansexual.

The "Let's Make a Deal" host said he initially couldn't settle on a label for his sexuality, noting that bisexuality didn't truly describe how he felt. 

"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," he told PEOPLE.

Brady said his journey to self-discovery really began in 2014, after the death of Robin Williams. He said he focused on his mental health, which allowed him to learn about things that he either "repressed, suppressed, or just didn't wanna deal with." He added that he's been attracted to certain men over the course of his life, but he "pushed that aside" because of his upbringing. 

More American adults are identifying as LGBT
The Rainbow Flag, an international symbol of LGBT liberation and pride, flies beneath the American flag

More American adults are identifying as LGBT

Gallup expects the trend of people identifying as LGBT to increase as younger generations constitute a larger share of the total adult population.

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Suppressing those feelings led to a sense of shame, Brady said. Ultimately, he said he wanted to know what it felt like to live without a sense of shame. 

The comedian was previously married to Mandie Taketa. They share a 20-year-old daughter, Maile. 

They both told People they are supportive of Brady's decision to live his truth. 

“I just said, ‘Great.’ As I knew coming out would help him be happier," Taketa said. 

Brady said he's not currently dating anyone, and doesn't plan to until he does more work on himself. 

"I am single, but it's not about being with someone right now," he said. "I've got some work to do still."