Wayne Brady Explains How Coming Out As Pansexual Helped His Mental Health Challenges: “This Is What I Like And This Is Who I Am”

Wayne Brady says the reveal of his sexuality represented a significant milestone in his personal growth and mental well-being.

During a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Brady discussed his ongoing battle with anxiety and depression. He emphasized that he felt compelled to address his sexuality as it’s connected to his mental health challenges.

“I look at it as being able to love whomever I want no matter the vessel,” Brady said. “I never spoke about it before because especially in my generation, you were raised to suffer in silence. Whatever your truth is. You should be able to feel like you walk in that daily because that’s the only way to really be free.”

Shortly after, ET’s host Nicole Turner, a long-time friend of Brady’s, mentioned that Brady has desired a romantic relationship and love but has encountered difficulties in that aspect of his life.

“I think it’s the trusting piece. The self-trusting piece,” he said. “Admitting that I had a mental health journey to go on, to admitting that there is such a thing as clinical depression and anxiety, and then that opened the door to, ‘What are you not doing in all of these relationships?’ … Maybe that person is not the problem. You are the problem. Me? Yes you.”

Nevertheless, despite initially harboring concerns about societal labels, Brady hopes to use his coming-out experience as pansexual as a means to offer support and encouragement to others.

“If by me just speaking my truth and saying, ‘This is what I like and this is who I am,’ can help anyone, then I regret not doing it sooner,” he said.