Marlon Wayans has opened up about how he maintains a close friendship with controversial comedian Dave Chappelle while wholeheartedly supporting his transgender son, Kai.
The Scary Movie star, 53, revealed in November 2023 that his eldest child, Kai, is transgender and uses they/them pronouns. This disclosure came years after Chappelle faced criticism for jokes about the transgender community in his 2021 comedy special The Closer.
Wayans told Variety in a new interview that he would not "hang with Dave if he was full of hate." He added, "I don't hang with people like that. I know Dave's heart, and his intention isn't to punch down. Dave wants to freely tell his jokes, and if you're going to be anti-comedy, then he's going to keep attacking you until you learn to have a sense of humor. He's just standing there and defending his front line as a comedian."
Wayans continued, "As a comedian, I respect his journey. And as a friend, I respect his journey. And for my child, I respect their journey. And as the father of my child, I can appropriate my feelings toward my friend and my feelings toward my child, and how we can put those two things together and I can explain both sides. I'm between them, so I can explain both sides to each other."
When Wayans first shared that his child is trans, he admitted the initial adjustment was challenging but quickly turned his hesitation into "unconditional love and support." Kai, 26, is Wayans' eldest child with his ex-partner Angela Zackery, with whom he also shares a son, Shawn, 24.
"All of my kids are gifts, and our love is the wrapping paper," Wayans added. "I'm not here for hate. Transphobia is a form of hate. Homophobia is a form of hate. Racism is a form of hate. All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you. And if you think you're gonna bully my child, go somewhere else. It's not going to happen. I won't stand for it."
Wayans has previously defended Kai against homophobic and transphobic attacks. In 2025, he slammed rapper Soulja Boy after the artist used a homophobic slur against his child. "If @souljaboy had a career he could get canceled for this type of slander. Luckily he ain't been relevant since 2007," the actor quipped on X, later sharing a topless photo of Soulja Boy with the joke, "Hey @souljaboy My child had top surgery and still has more chest than you."
In 2024, Wayans called out Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his treatment of his trans daughter, Vivian. "I have a Tesla that I'm about to drive over a cliff," Wayans joked on the Club Shay Shay podcast. "I don't like what he be saying about his trans child. You don't treat them babies like that. You don't disown your babies."
