The Truth About Marlon Wayans' Bachelor Lifestyle And Why He Never Married

The youngest of the Wayans siblings, Marlon Wayans, rose to prominence alongside his brother Shawn when they co-created and starred in the hit 1995 sitcom "The Wayans Bros." They launched themselves to the next level with 2000's "Scary Movie," which was directed by their older brother Keenen Ivory Wayans. Through it all, Marlon has always known his family was there for him, especially the woman who meant more to him than anyone else: his mother.

Marlon Wayans wasn't just Elvira Alethia Green's youngest child, the two shared the same birthday; July 23. Elvira Alethia died shortly before her 82nd birthday, and while losing their mother was difficult for all ten of Elvira Alethia's children, Marlon especially struggled with it. On their shared birthday just after Elvira Alethia's death, Marlon posted a photo of them together on Instagram, saying "In the midst of this hurt... I just love you ma."

Marlon opened up to The New York Times about his mother, Elvira Alethia, who died in 2020. In the interview, Marlon revealed: "My mother's death broke me. It shattered me into a million pieces." He went on to say that the last thing he ever said to her was: "I never got married because I always wanted you to be my No. 1 girl... Take that to heaven with you." Wayans explained his reasoning, saying his mother, whom he called "very needy," was one of five reasons he has never married. While three of the reasons remain a mystery, Wayans did tell Essence that not wanting to get divorced is another thing that keeps him from making the commitment, saying, "I like things to bend and not break, and I feel like when you get married, you have to get divorced in order to either be separated or together."

While Marlon Wayans has never married, he has three children: his two oldest, Kai and Shawn, were born in 2000 and 2002. His youngest, Axl, was born in 2023. In 2023, Marlon went on "The Breakfast Club" and discussed Kai coming out to him as transgender and his reaction to it and his "transition as a parent, going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance." His middle child, Shawn, who is named after Marlon's brother and frequent collaborator, is following in his father's and uncle's footsteps. Shawn works with his cousins Laila and Ilia, making music videos, and, ever the proud father, Marlon shares them on his Facebook. 

Marlon's children are the second generation of one of the most successful Hollywood families in modern history. The Wayans' rise in Hollywood started with the second oldest of Elvira Alethia's ten children, Keenen, who created the classic TV series "In Living Color." The series  included a number of his siblings, including Damon, Shawn, Marlon, and Kim, and also turned Jim Carrey into a star after he failed his audition for "Saturday Night Live." Along with Kai, Shawn, and Axl, the new generation of Wayans includes Craig, an actor and writer best known for "Scary Movie 2," "Dance Flick," and "The Last O.G.," and Damon Wayans Jr., who  starred in the box office smash "Let's Be Cops" as well as the hit show "New Girl," and is a recurring character on Apple TV's "Shrinking."