Who was Wayne Brady married to? All about his partner and children as TV host comes out as pansexual

Wayne Brady, the popular American TV personality, has announced that he is pansexual. In an interview with People, he came out and talked about how he is attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender. He also called it “being bisexual, with an open mind.”

During the interview, Wayne Brady also stated how the label of being pansexual was personal to him, as he said:

“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. Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place.”

Wayne Brady was married to Diana Lasso from 1993 to 1995. However, after the couple parted ways, he met the popular dancer Mandie Taketa, and the duo tied the knot in 1999. The marriage lasted for nine years, and the couple got divorced in 2008. Wayne and Mandie share a daughter, Maile Masako Brady, who was born in 2003.

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“People think they really know me. That has its advantages and disadvantages”: Wayne Brady opens up about his sexuality

Wayne Brady, who is best known for his show, Let’s Make a Deal, talked about how he discovered that he is pansexual, and claimed that he thought it was “cool” as he found out more. He said:

“It's cool that people like me, especially doing a show, like Let's Make a Deal, or when various companies or networks think, "I want Wayne Brady to host this,” what a blessing! What a blessing to be in people's homes every day and connect with them. I love that piece of it. But there are days that I'm not a fan of it. Because, really, I’m an actor. I don’t want to lead personality-first.”

He also said how people just think that they know him. He said:

“People think they really know me. That has its advantages and disadvantages. There's a reason why I live in a canyon in Malibu and not in the middle of Hollywood. I’m an introvert. Shy. I always have been. I had a very thick stutter at one point during my childhood, growing up in Orlando, brought on by anxiety and bullying and stress.”

He also shared that while “the world can absolutely go without knowing” that he identifies as pan, it gave him a “license to still live in the shadows and to be secretive.” Wayne further added that he came out because he “had to break that behavior.”

Wayne Brady also talked about how he started questioning his sexuality soon after Robin Williams passed away, as he had entered the phase of self-introspection. He said:

“Once I opened that door to myself though, I had to start learning about myself, and I had to start owning up to things that maybe I'd either repressed, suppressed, or just didn't wanna deal with.”

He also opened up about taking therapy, as he claimed that he was suffering from something called “love addiction,” which he states was the result of massive trauma. Wayne also revealed how he has been attracted to plenty of men but has never dated one in his life. He also said how he has dealt with shame because of this, even though he has many friends in the LGBTQ+ community.

As Wayne Brady talked about his journey and opened up about his sexuality, he received massive support from netizens, as many claimed that it takes strength for a public figure to make a big revelation about themselves. Social media users were touched by his thought of being Mandie’s “best friend” and the best father, son, and even the best partner to someone someday.