Marlon Wayans opens up about his son Kai Wayans in a new interview, saying the transition of his eldest child taught him the meaning of 'true, unconditional love.'
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Marlon Wayans: Sons Journey Redefines Love
Marlon Wayans opens up about his transgender son Kai Wayans in a new interview, saying the transition of his eldest child taught him the meaning of 'true, uncon...
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The actor-comedian, 53, chatting with Variety Monday, said that Kai's transition occurred after an avalanche of personal tragedies which came as an offshoot of the pandemic.
'My world crumbled,' the native told the magazine. 'I lost 62 people that I loved, including my mother and my father.
'I had friends and people that are very special to me - some OD'd with fentanyl; others died of brain aneurysms, strokes.'
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Marlon, a member of the vaunted Wayans comedy family, said that 60 'people that [he] loved died,' preceding the death of his parents.
Wayans, whose filmography includes comedies such as White Chicks, Scary Movie and Don't Be a Menace, said it was at that time Kai, 26,
Marlon Wayans, 53, opens up about his transgender son Kai Wayans, 26, in a new interview, saying the transition of his eldest child taught him the meaning of 'true, unconditional love'
Marlon posed in between sons Kai and Shawn in LA in March of 2023
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Wayans said that all of the aforementioned events were 'happening at once,' enlightening him to a piece of wisdom his late father had imparted to him: 'Sometimes you need faith to bring you through the darkness.'
The entertainer and father-of-two said that he was able to cut to the most essential aspect of the situation in short order
Wayans, seen in Atlanta on May 18, is on the promotional trail for the latest Scary Movie film
'I'm not here for hate,' Wayans told the outlet. 'Transphobia is a form of hate. Homophobia is a form of hate.
Wayans said that he didn't feel his good friend and comedic colleague Dave Chappelle was a hateful person, after the comic, 52, came under fire for a series of controversial remarks he made about trans people in a 2021 Netflix special
'Dave wants to freely tell his jokes, and if you're going to be anti-comedy, then he's going to keep attacking you until you learn to have a sense of humor,' Wayans said. 'He's just standing there and defending his front line as a comedian.'
Wayans continued: 'As a comedian, I respect his journey. And as a friend, I respect his journey. And for my child, I respect their journey.'
Wayans said that his personal and professional background helps him function as a conduit.
'As the father of my child, I can appropriate my feelings toward my friend and my feelings toward my child, and how we can put those two things together and I can explain both sides,' he said. 'I'm between them, so I can explain both sides to each other.'
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