Breaking the Stigma: Wayne Brady’s Family Takes on Mental Health

“You are not alone. You are seen. I am with you. You are not alone.” A quote from Shonda Rhimes during the Human Rights Award ceremony in 2015 highlighting the importance of support systems for mental health. This theme resonates deeply with Wayne Brady and his family, which consists of himself, his ex-wife Mandie Taketa, their daughter Maile Brady, and Mandie’s partner Jason Fordham.

Their new reality show, Wayne Brady: Family Remix, showcases the ups and downs of building a strong foundation and support system. With Wayne coming out as pansexual, maintaining his career, and navigating unexpected family changes (alongside his daughter’s transition to college and adulthood and Mandie’s challenges in managing her relationship while being a loving parent), the show tells the story of a family relying on each other through thick and thin.

Taji Mag sat down with the cast to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and the importance of seeking help and addressing mental health issues, especially during Minority Mental Health Month.

The show is filled with surprises and life changes that challenge each family member. When asked about what he learned from his experiences, Wayne Brady shared:

“One of the coolest surprises for me has been a life lesson I learned: no one ever cares as much as you think they do. I built up a lot, wanting to come out and share my truth about pansexuality, figuring out where it fits on the spectrum, and how it would help me feel free. You’ll see me on the show agonizing over this whole thing. Then, you press send on TikTok. It goes out, People Magazine builds it up, and people comment online. But then folks still have to go pay their bills—they don’t give a damn about you. That’s the most beautiful thing in the world. Once you realize that, you can just be yourself and go about your business. And I love that.”

The rest of the cast agreed with Wayne’s perspective. Mandie added, “I agree, it’s right; anything else will fall flat.”

Maile Brady reflected on her own mental health journey:

“I was a minority with mental health problems. I have bona fide issues. I definitely encountered a lot of the ‘pray away’ approach to mental health from my father’s side of the family. For me, as someone who struggles with learning disabilities, depression, and anxiety, it can always be challenging. However, the more we talk about it, the more we fight that stigma and normalize these things in conversation. It’s not comfortable for anyone at first, but we go to the gym to take care of ourselves, and we go to the doctor when we’re sick. Mental health and mental illness are like that too; you have to maintain your overall health to be a competent, healthy, well-rounded person.”

Mandie Taketa shared her perspective as a member of Gen X who grew up in an Asian household:

“I want people to know that it’s okay to be the first to say ‘I need help,’ even though our grandparents and parents always seemed to have everything under control as long as it looked good. We can say ‘I’m not all right,’ and be the first to admit it. I’m going to take myself to therapy. You can be the first one too.”

Wayne Brady also spoke about overcoming traditional misconceptions about therapy:

“As a kid, the traditional thing passed down in neighborhoods was that therapy wasn’t for us. We couldn’t be depressed. What do you mean, depressed? Get up. Learning to fight those misconceptions in myself and overcoming that misinformation to be healthy was one of the best things I could do in my life. Helping my daughter get therapy so I could end that generational misunderstanding and see her be healthy at her age in a way I wasn’t able to until a few years ago—that’s the coolest part of the mental health journey in my world. Being able to help her is amazing.”

Jason Fordham added his thoughts on family support:

“I come from a long line of family addiction, and within a community; just because I’ve made strides in my development and got sober doesn’t mean everyone else has to immediately jump on board. With family, sometimes you form a tight group that supports you and understands because they’re on their own journey. And then, some people you just have to love from a distance until the right time.”

Wayne Brady: Family Remix invites the audience into the day-to-day life of a family with a solid foundation, dealing with relatable issues without excessive negativity. The show also features some surprise guests and familiar faces, offering a glimpse of their off-screen personas. Catch Wayne Brady: Family Remix on Freeform on July 24th at 10:00 p.m. ET, with episodes available for streaming the next day on Hulu.