Wayne Brady Amanda Edwards/Getty Images Wayne Brady is proud of who he is. The Let's Make a Deal game show host came out as pansexual in August 2023, and has since opened up about being able to finally live his life authentically. "I don't give a f-k anymore," Brady exclusively told Us Weekly at the Advocate + Out Pride cover launch party in June 2024. "I no longer walk around with shame or fear of blackmail - and that's the biggest thing." After initially not knowing about pansexuality, Brady began looking into what it meant to be attracted to all genders. Jonathan Groff Says He Came Out to His Brother After Seeing 'David' Statue "I had to do research and find out what it was that I (am)," he told People on the red carpet at the 2024 GLAAD Awards, where he served as host of the awards show. "The biggest misconception - and I even make a joke about it onstage tonight - is that people think that you're an indecisive bisexual. No, no. Let me set you straight." He continued, "What the definition basically boils down to is, regardless of gender, regardless. So that means that I am happily free to fall in love with anybody here. If you're gay, if you're straight, if you're non-binary, trans, I don't care. It's the person, which in my mind is the ultimate in acceptance and loving." Brady first came out to his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, and their daughter, Maile Brady, and was met with unwavering support. Meghan! Gaga! Stars Who Appeared on Game Shows Before They Were Famous "I just said, 'Great.' As I knew coming out would help him be happier," Taketa said while recalling their initial conversation about her ex's sexuality. Brady's daughter's response was similar. "I just said, 'Okay,'" she told People at the time, breaking into a grin. Keep reading for everything Wayne Brady has said about coming out as pansexual. Why Coming Out Made Him a Better Dad In an interview with People published on January 17, 2026, the TV host shared how his decision to come out as pansexual impacted him as a parent. "I feel lighter, because I'm me," Brady told the outlet. "That lets me be a better actor. Lets me be a better performer onstage. Lets me be a better dad. Lets me be a better partner to someone someday. I'm happier, I'm brighter." His Path to Self-Discovery Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images Brady shared in August 2023 that the death of beloved actor and comedian Robin Williams "really impacted" him and sent him on his journey to figuring out who he was. (Williams died by suicide in 2014. He was 63 years old.) "After Robin's death, I got involved in certain groups, like Glenn Close's group, Bring Change to Mind, being very vocal about mental health," he told People. "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." He explained, "I gave joy at work. But the pity is then I come home, and I don't have that joy. I have joy because I love my daughter and I love my family. I love being a dad more than chocolate ice cream. But that can't be my only joy. 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?" Love Addiction The Bold and the Beautiful actor got candid about how going to therapy for love addiction helped him process his sexuality. Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus and More Stars Who Refuse to Label Their Sexuality "It's a part of my journey," he shared. "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." Brady added, "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." Reflection Kevin Winter/Getty Images Brady also reflected on his coming out journey in an Instagram post in August 2023. "The people I admire the most are the ones brave enough to be themselves unapologetically," he wrote in part. "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!" Facing Fears Brady exclusively told Us in June 2024 that he feared coming out as pansexual would upend his professional life. "I didn't know how I would get past the hurdle of care," he said. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh, if I say certain things, will I lose some of the audience that watches my shows, and that watch the daytime shows, and will I lose this?'" He added, "I actually care very much because I love my job. But if y