Marlon Wayans, dad to a trans child, opens up about his family in new comedy special Good Grief

Marlon Wayans attends his screening of Good Grief, smiling at the camera.

Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans opens up about family and grief in his new comedy special Good Grief

Known for White Chicks and The Wayans Bros, the 51-year-old comedian uses his new Amazon stand-up special to unpack grief, his upbringing and the bond with his parents

Wayans is the youngest of Howell Wayans and Elvira Alethia’s ten children. In Good Grief, he opens up about the bond with his famous family. 

Speaking to the LA Times, Wayans shared that he wanted to open up about his family even though it hurts. 

“I think it’s beautiful to talk about something that hurts you and something that’s real,” he explained.

“I think this is my strongest set because as I do more stand-up, I get more personal.

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“The audience was very beautiful and very supportive. I don’t know if they know, but hearing them laugh was healing for me.”

Want to know more about Marlon Wayans, including his trans child? We’ve answered some commonly-asked questions about him below.

Who is Marlon Wayans’ son?

In 2023, Wayans announced to the world that he has a trans child.

Wayans’ eldest child transitioning opened up Wayans to a brand-new world. 

Speaking to The Breakfast Club, Wayans expressed his support for his 24-year-old son Kai’s journey with his identity and admitted that he does sometimes still slip up with his pronouns. 

“I have a daughter that transitioned into a son. My daughter is now Kai, and so, I talk about the transition,” he told the show.

“Not his… their transition, but my transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance.

“I think there’s a lot of parents out there that need that message and I know I’m dealing with it. It was a very painful situation for me but, man, it’s one of the best hours I could ever imagine.”

On the topic of parenting a trans child, Wayans noted that his main wish for his children is for them to be “free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves.”

Though he confesses he had some confusion or ignorance towards trans people, that was all pushed aside to make way for the acceptance of his son.

“The more you know yourself, the more you live your truth, the happier your existence. So if they can’t get that in a household with their father and their mother, how the f*** do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?

“I’m just so proud of them for being them – but that don’t mean that I ain’t got jokes.”

At this point in time, the comedy world has not been very forthcoming towards trans people. Transphobia is rife in the comedy circuit, however, there are many like Wayans pushing for greater acceptance.

Does Marlon Wayans have a wife?

Wayans was with Angelica Zachary between 2005 and 2013, it remains unclear if the pair ever married.

Together, they have two children, Kai Zackery Wayans and Shawn Howell Wayans.

Wayans also shares a child with his former girlfriend, Brittany Moreland.

As mentioned above, Marlon Wayans is the son of the late Howell Wayans and Elvira Alethia.

He is the youngest of 10 siblings: writer and film composer Dwayne Howell Wayans, comedian Keenen Ivory Desuma Wayans, writer and producer Craig Mikel Wayans, stand-up comedian Damon Kyle Wayans, TV actor Kimberly Nichole Wayans and comedian and writer Shawn Mathis Wayans. 

Acting and comedy runs in the Wayans family. From the 80s to the 2000s the siblings were involved in countless film and TV comedies.

Some include Hollywood Shuffle, Mo’ Money, The Wayans Bros., Scary Movie, My Wife and Kids, White Chicks and Little Man.

Who is the richest Wayans brother?

Although Marlon is perhaps the most famous Wayans brother, it’s reported he is not the wealthiest.

According to reports, Keenan Wayans is the wealthiest of the Wayans family. He has built a legacy from his breakthrough role in the 1987 film Hollywood Shuffle, paving the way for his siblings. 

Good Grief is streaming on Prime Video on 4 June. 

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