Marlon Wayans talks openly about the change in his family.
In its appearance on The breakfast club On Friday, the comedian (51) revealed that his oldest child is transgender.
“I have a daughter who became a son,” he says. “My daughter Amai is now Kai.”
Wayans then talked about what the experience was like for him as a parent and how he plans to address it in the upcoming comedy special, potentially titled Child of the rainbow.
“My transition as a parent, from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance,” he said of his idea for the special, adding that he hopes the opening will help other families in similar situations.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
MrBeast’s Chris Tyson celebrates Pride Month with a new post-HRT photo
“I think there’s a lot of parents who need that message and I know I’m dealing with it,” he said, revealing that it was “a very painful situation for me, but it’s one of the best, funniest hours [of comedy] I could imagine,” he said of the ongoing special.
Wayans praised Kai as “brilliant” and “well-read, the smartest Wayans,” and said that while he admitted he’s not always the perfect parent, Wayans said of Kai, “They know I love them.”
“They see me working hard and I’m happy, but I have to respect their wishes,” he said.
In addition to 23-year-old Kai, Wayans also has a son, Shawn, 21, with ex Angelica Zachary.
In Wayans’ current special, Good Grief, he talks about the pain of losing more than 30 loved ones, including his father, Howell Wayans, over the past three years. Now, he said, he feels it’s more important than ever that his children “be free.”
“I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be who they are. The more you know yourself, the more you can rule yourself; the more you live your truth, the happier you will be,” he said.
“If I can’t get that in a household with my father and mother, how the hell can I send them out into the world with that confidence?” he said.”I’m so proud that they are.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education