While opening up and speaking about how he deals with grief, Marlon Wayans reveals how he lost nearly 60 people within 3 years and again explains how his late mother is the reason why he never got married.
Ahead of his June 4-due Prime Video stand-up special ‘Good Grief,’ where he recalls the passing of his parents, Marlon Wayans, 51, spoke with the New York Times about losing 58 people back-to-back and about the reason why he chose not to get married during his mother’s lifetime.
In July 2020, Wayans’ mother, Elvira Alethia Wayans, passed away at 82 years old. Three years later, in April 2023, Wayans’ father, Howell Stouten Wayans, also passed away. He was 86. In August 2021, Wayans previously told Essence why he’d never been married, claiming it was because he always wanted his mom to be his “number one girl.”
Speaking with the New York Times about his upcoming special addressing the death of his parents, Marlon Wayans admitted that his next comedy special’s focus is a bit “crazy.” He said, ‘Isn’t that crazy? Other people are like, ‘What’s your next special?'”
To that question, Wayans said his reply is, “Oh, it’s a funny journey about the death of my parents.” Marlon Wayans continued to reveal, “But, it wasn’t just the death of my parents. I lost 58 people that I loved in a matter of three years. It felt, like, biblical.” In addition to the loss of his parents, Wayans also mentioned the death of his friend, actor Chadwick Boseman, 43, calling it “a hard one.”
When asked if he found the wild situation to be a funny thing or a sad thing, Marlon Wayans replied, “It’s been a gift since I was a kid. I mean, all of us Wayanses, we’re crazy people. The worst thing happens, and the first thing we’d think is, ‘What’s funny about it?'”
The comedian and actor continued to recall a time when he and his naturally hilarious and talented family cracked a joke at a funeral. He said, “I remember when my cousin Ceddy died and my auntie buried him in jeans and a T-shirt and some Air Force 1s and a baseball cap. Damon [Wayans] looks and goes, ‘If there’s a dress code in heaven, I don’t think Ceddy’s getting in.'”
RELATED: Marlon Wayans Commends J. Cole For Apologizing Over Kendrick Lamar Diss: “Black People Need This”
Speaking on his mother’s passing, Marlon Wayans said, “My mother’s death broke me. It shattered me into a million pieces because that was my girl. I never got married, because I never wanted my mother to be jealous of a woman. I never wanted my mother to feel second to any woman.”
When asked if he always knew that was the reason why he never wed, he replied, “Oh, absolutely.” He added, “That was one of five reasons. And Mom was very needy. I told my mother on her deathbed, ‘I never got married because I always wanted you to be my No. 1 girl.’ Those were my last words. I said, ‘Take that to heaven with you.'”
Wayans also said, “I think as a comedian, I’m getting to the good stuff. When you talk about real-life pain, like parents passing, and you can get through that set and you can still be irreverent, edgy, crazy, silly, thought-provoking, and vulnerable, I think that’s growth. It’s a different way to look at something tragic. I think the world forgot how to laugh. We’re grooming people to be sensitive. But I find when I’m in a comedy club, people like to laugh. They like to laugh at those dark things, the magic jokes. People want to laugh again.”
#Socialites, be sure to check out the post below, then leave us your thoughts in a comment after!
View this post on Instagram