Who Are Marlon Wayans' Kids? Inside the Comedian's Family
Updated Nov. 14 2023, 12:33 p.m. ET
The Gist:
- Marlon Wayans shares two kids with ex Angelica Zachary.
- The comedian opened up in November 2023 about embracing his oldest child's coming out as trans.
- Marlon has posted beautiful photos and messages to his kids throughout the years.
The youngest of 10 siblings, Marlon Wayans got one of his first real breakthroughs in showbiz with the cult-classic comedy In Living Color. Created by his brother Keenen, the show also starred their siblings Shawn, Damon, and one of their sisters, Kim.
Born and raised in New York, Marlon had built an incredibly successful career in showbiz by the time his kids were born. But who are his children? Here's what to know.
Who are Marlon Wayans' kids?
Marlon shares two kids — Kai (born as Amai on May 24, 2000) and Shawn (born on Feb. 3, 2002) — with his ex-partner Angelica Zachary.
In November 2023, Marlon opened up about accepting and embracing Kai's coming out as trans.
"I gotta respect their wishes, right, and as a parent, I just want my kids to be free," Marlon told The Breakfast Club (per ABC). "I want them to be free in spirit, free in thought, free to be themselves. The more you know yourself, the more you can govern 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--k do I send them out into the world with that kind of confidence?" he continued.
He also later said of Kai: "They know I love them. They see me trying. They're like, 'I'm happy.'"
Neither of his kids appear to have social media profiles, but Marlon has posted about them over the years. For instance, in November 2023, he captioned a photo featuring his kids: "Squad ... so proud of the offspring. Wayans for life."
In May 2023, he posted a tribute Kai's birthday, which included: "Be you! Your best you! You’re the gift and I’m wrapping paper." And after Kai previously came out as gay, Marlon supported it wholeheartedly, writing on Instagram in 2019: "Happy pride to my pride and joy. I wouldn’t change one effing thing about you."
Marlon also captioned an adorable 2020 pic of him and Shawn as "Me and the sequel." Commenters gushed over the pic, with one person writing: "Your twin."
What happened between Marlon Wayans and his children's mother, Angelica Zachary?
During their time together from 1992 to 2013, Marlon hardly ever talked about his relationship with Angelica in interviews with the press. He made a few exceptions, however. In a January 2013 appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, he revealed that he had once insisted on living in separate houses to keep the romance alive.
"I like to keep it fresh. When you live together that's when she starts wearing ... she don't come with the lingerie, she come with the sweatpants and the cream on the face and the curlers and the Uggs," Marlon joked. "That says, I'm not going to give you none."
Things came to an end between the couple that year, after Marlon was spotted in the arms of a mystery woman while traveling around on a luxury boat near St. Barts. An extremely private person, Marlon approached the breakup the same way he did the relationship, sharing only a sparse few details with the press. He and Angelica have been co-parenting their kids ever since.
Angelica and Marlon pictured at the premiere of 'Most Wanted' in October 1997
Marlon Wayans has written quite a few jokes about his experiences with raising kids.
"When you're a parent, there's no proper formula. Did I spoil them? I know I should have never told the kids I had money. I should have raised them in the projects," Marlon joked in his 2021 HBO comedy special You Know What It Is. "They need more government cheese in their life."
In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Marlon opened up about the complications that started to emerge once his kids became teenagers.
"I stopped being their dad a long time ago. I was like, 'We are going to be friends.' As a dad, I don't want to be all possessive, like, 'You! Who are you talking to?' and 'I want to meet him!'" he explained. "No, I want to be your friend and I'm going to walk you through it."
"At a point when they become teenagers, you have to have real conversations," he added. "What you don't want is sneaky kids. 'If you tell me what's poppin', I can protect you. But don't come to me after the fact.'"
In the same interview, he also fielded a question about his approach toward romantic relationships. "Listen, love is like water," Marlon said. "You pour it into different glasses and it takes shape."
