Marlon Wayans recently shared how he dealt with his trans child before accepting their journey.
Appearing on Neal Brennan’s “Blocks Podcast,” Wayans opened up about using hypnosis in hopes of stopping his child Kai from transitioning.
“I tried to hypnotize that bitch. And I protested against it and I don’t say that with pride,” Wayans said.
He continued: “I look back on those actions and I’m ashamed and I was embarrassed the moment I was forced to look in the mirror.”
“This was happening when they were 22, 23, and for me… you’re trying to hold on, and you want this thing in your head, you want normalcy… grandchildren… but yo, it’s not on me, and like, this is their life, they should be happy,” he went on. “And if they want to do this or change this or whatever they want to do… it’s not on me to punch down on my child. So, I’m gonna love my child. Period.”
He also shared how he attempted to withhold Kai’s allowance but the tactic didn’t work.
“[Kai] was like, ‘So what? Fuck it, I’ll starve,’” Wayans said. “Nothing was working. This is what they wanted to do,” Wayans said. “I always said I want my kids to be happy. In order to be happy, you’re not gonna please everybody.”
Eventually, he accepted Kai’s transition and is his biggest supporter. Wayans said that his duty was to love Kai unconditionally.
“This is their life and they should be happy if they do this and if they want to change back or whatever they want to do—it’s not on me to punch down on my child. It’s on me to love my child,” he said. “Period. That’s all, all I can do is love my child and that’s what I do.”
Wayans also noted that fatherhood and stand-up comedy sometimes can cause tension, although he’s fully accepted Kai’s transition,
“I’m a father first, I’m a comedian second, and those two clash,” Wayans said. “I told my child, ‘I’ma have my jokes, ni**a… and they know my heart, and they trust that I’ma tell a great story and I can’t wait for people to see it.”
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