Comedian, actor, and host Wayne Brady came out as pansexual when he released a statement via People and also took to social media to announce the move.
Brady wants to be free to “love whomever”
Brady — who is best known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway? and as the host of Let’s Make a Deal — submitted a letter to People this week in which he dove into the decision to come out as pansexual, meaning that he is attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender. According to Brady, the pansexual term is “the proper place” for him right now as he continues to explore himself.
“In doing my research, both with myself and just with the world, I couldn’t say if I was bisexual, because I had to really see what that was, especially because I really have not gotten a chance to act on anything,” said Brady in his letter. “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. Being able to be attracted across the board. And, I think, at least for me for right now, that is the proper place. I took pan to mean that not only can I be attracted to any of these people or types physically, but I could be attracted to the person that is there.”
Brady also reflected on the 2014 death of actor and comedian Robin Williams, which he says was a wake-up call of sorts to focus more on his mental health. The actor said he went to therapy and was treated for love addiction, and as a result, he began examining why he looks for things in others that he can’t find in himself.
“I did all the therapy I could do. I was treated for love addiction,” said Brady. “It’s a part of my journey. I had to start examining why I was looking for myself and happiness in a slew of people. If I marry this person, then everything will be fine. If I date this person, everything will be fine. I’ll be good. I’ll be fixed. That is obviously a problem. And so, in doing that work, I now know absolutely that love addiction is borne of trauma. I can’t feel any shame around that, just like I wouldn’t shame somebody if they said they were addicted to meth or cocaine. That’s a sickness.”
Alongside the letter, Brady also shared a TikTok video of himself in a joking performance set to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” In the caption to the video, Brady said that he wants “to be free to love whomever” he wants, and that truth led him to where he is today.
