Everyone is trying to figure out how to make social distancing work best for them and for people who co-parent, it becomes even more complicated. Wayne Brady is experiencing this unique dilemma, and how he and his ex-wife have decided to resolve it has some people raising their eyebrows.
The comedian and TV host has decided what works best for his family is self-isolating with his daughter, Maile, his ex-wife, Mandie Taketa, and her boyfriend, Jason. “My ex-wife Mandie and I, we have a different and I think a very special relationship than a lot of people who co-parent,” Brady said in an interview with Access Hollywood. “And our daughter is 17, so it’s very different than if she were 5.” Even though Brady and his ex-wife have been divorced since 2007, he says that they're still close and even after their divorce, he is happy that they've been able to co-parent as best friends.
Brady went on to say that even without the quarantine, they're still very close and that they've always lived very close to each other. “Right now, we live literally next door to each other. So our quarantining is a little different. We quarantine between both of our homes and I’ve got a big backyard and lots of land, so we both share this land and this space.” He continued to say that he's not concerned about the living situation they've chosen because they're all family, even Mandie's boyfriend. They're the true definition of a blended family.
If you're wondering how this blended family stays entertained during the coronavirus pandemic, Brady said that they've used the time as a break from their busy lives to reconnect. “We’ve been doing TikToks, we’ve been playing board games, we’ve been in my studio writing songs together and freestyling, walking the dogs up the canyon and up the streets.” Brady explained.
Brady's unique relationship with his ex-wife extends past co-parenting and they've continued to work together too. Their latest project is a show called "Wayne Brady’s Comedy IQ," which is a boot camp-style talent show that finds kids who sing and dance and helps them learn improvisation, sketch, and comedy using those skills.