Comedic actor Marlon Wayans marked Pride Month by sharing his teenage daughter’s coming out story on Instagram.com.
The 46-year-old actor shared a photo of his 19-year-old daughter, Amai Zackery Wayans, along with the caption: “Happy pride .. to my pride and joy. I wouldn’t change one effing thing about you. Love you to the moon around the sun through the galaxies and back again.”
Amai is Marlon’s daughter by ex-wife Angelica Zachary, They divorced in 2013. They also have a son Shawn Wayans, 17.
Marlon’s career commitments and his non-traditional marriage to Angelica kept him away from Amai for most of her childhood. As a result of the lack of a father figure in her childhood, Amai is now a male-identified lesbian (MIL).
Marlon penned a personal note to his daughter when she turned 19 last month.
“Happy birthday to my pride, my heart, my love, my soul, my mini-me, my inspiration, my moral compass, my sweet loving, romantic, kind hearted, intelligent, talented, soulful, conscious, angelic, beautiful daughter.”
He seemed to regret the days when he wasn’t around much during her childhood.
“I have loved you before you were even here,” he wrote. “I rubbed you in your mommy’s belly, I read to you, I talked to you, I kissed you, I cuddled you, I loved you. I remember [when] your head crowned all I saw was a full head of black curly hair and I began to cry like a baby. May 24, 2000, I pulled you from your mother’s womb, I held you in my arms and my world changed.
“My purpose shifted. I no longer lived for me … I lived for you, for my family, for us. You gave me purpose. You made me tender, you made me communicate, you made me humble, you made me attentive, you made me listen, you made me grow up.”
He concluded by telling Amai to “never change” and to “keep evolving.”
“You’re heaven sent. An amazing child. You made me love unconditionally and most of all you accept and love me unconditionally for all my flaws… I can’t be no more proud of you than I already am. Never change. Just keep evolving.”
Photos by David Livingston/Getty Images, Kevin Winter/Getty Images
