TV host and comedian Wayne Brady came out as pansexual in an exclusive interview he gave to People magazine.
I am pansexual. Bisexual, with an open mind!. 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.
After the interview, Brady, who is currently the host of CBS' Let's Make a Deal, posted on his Instagram account a video where he humorously confirms to his followers that he is now part of the LGBT collective.
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. 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 Igbtq+ family.
The entertainer commented on the "fear" he felt about publicly revealing the news about his sexuality due to the criticism he could receive. However, he indicated that he feels free and that he will be living his "best life":
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: 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! I love you
Brady, who is five-time Emmy Award winner, commented that the death of actor Robin Williams in 2014 marked a before and after in his life. It was at that moment that he decided to start "learning about" himself and discovered himself by attending support groups to treat his mental health:
After Robin’s death, I got involved in certain groups, being very vocal about mental health. 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. I have to love myself. And that's when I realized that I had a problem because if I can spend everything on stage and on camera but then I come home and there is a love deficit, what is going on? That was my rock bottom.
The actor also commented that the first person to whom he decided to reveal his sexuality was his ex-wife Mandie Taketa, who was happy about the news:
I just said, ‘Great.’ As I knew coming out would help him be happier.
