May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and actor Marlon Wayans is opening up about his struggles with depression.
During a recent interview with the New York Times, Wayans said that he fell into a deep depression after the loss of his parents. He also said that their deaths came after he lost almost 60 people he was close to within three years.
“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,” he said in the interview.
Wayans added, “I miss my parents dearly, but I’m a different human with my parents gone than I was when they were here. Now I’m a man. I don’t have parents anymore, so I live differently. I understand the quality of life. I pray more because when I pray I feel like I’m speaking to my parents and that they’re listening. I let them know what’s going on.”
Although grief is not linear, the comedian found a positive side to his pain. He is preparing to release his new comedy special, “Good Grief,” which will premiere on Prime Video on June 4.
The show was taped at the Apollo Theater, where he speaks about his loss and the lessons that he’s learned. In April 2023, Marlon Wayans posted a touching tribute to his father, Howell Wayans, shortly after his passing. His mother, Elvira Wayans passed away during the pandemic in July 2020.