Wayne Brady Shares Plans for Son's 2nd Birthday Party: 'I Like to Blow Things Out of the Water' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Wayne Brady.Photo:Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Wayne Brady’sson is about to turn 2 — and he has some big plans for the celebration.Speaking with PEOPLE at the 2024 Bring Change to Mind Revels & Revelations event — held to raise funds for the organization that aims to end the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental illness — in Woodside, Calif., the actor revealed thathis son Val, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Tina, is about to celebrate his second birthday, and Brady isn’t holding anything back for his little guy.“I like to blow things out of the water. So I’m going to have to think of something really cool because his birthday also happens close to Christmas,” he tells PEOPLE.“I want him to have a birthday that is completely separated from Christmas to just let him have his own thing. I think his mom and I are going to talk about it, but we’re probably in him throwing him a big old party, which really means we’re throwing ourselves a big old party,” Brady jokes.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Elsewhere in the interview, Bradyshared the “biggest difference"he sees when parenting his kids, who have a 20-year age gap. Alongside Val, the star is dad to daughterMaīle, 21, whom he shares with his ex-wife Mandie Taketa.He is also a co-parent of Taketa and her boyfriend Jason Fordham’s sonSundance-Isamu"Sunny,” whom they welcomed through adoption in September 2021.“It’s a different energy level in parenting. I had Maīle when I was 30, so now with Val, in terms of the physical energy that it takes to run around with him, I can still do it [but] it’s a little harder,” he tells PEOPLE.“The thing I think with Val that I benefit from is I’ve been there once, now I’ve been to the rodeo, so I think I’m a little better as a parent,” he says, adding that even Maīle has noticed his improved parenting skills.“Maīle even laughs, she says. ‘The funny thing about Sunny and Mandie and Val and myself is, you two aren’t the parents that I grew up with. Val and Sunny get these parents who have done therapy and worked on themselves and they know parenting. I grew up with the two of you and we all grew up together.'““So that’s the biggest difference, is I’ve got a little more parenting under my belt,” adds Brady.Appearing onThe Jennifer Hudson Showon Tuesday, Oct. 8, the actor opened up about what it took for his untraditional family to get to the healthy place they’re in today as they discussed their new reality showWayne Brady: The Family Remix.Asked how he’s so authentic in sharing his family dynamic, Brady replied, “So much therapy.““Therapy and family, and it feels amazing,” he continued. “This show and us creating it, it was a way of entering this second act of life of trying to live in authenticity.”

Wayne Brady’sson is about to turn 2 — and he has some big plans for the celebration.

Speaking with PEOPLE at the 2024 Bring Change to Mind Revels & Revelations event — held to raise funds for the organization that aims to end the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental illness — in Woodside, Calif., the actor revealed thathis son Val, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend Tina, is about to celebrate his second birthday, and Brady isn’t holding anything back for his little guy.

“I like to blow things out of the water. So I’m going to have to think of something really cool because his birthday also happens close to Christmas,” he tells PEOPLE.

“I want him to have a birthday that is completely separated from Christmas to just let him have his own thing. I think his mom and I are going to talk about it, but we’re probably in him throwing him a big old party, which really means we’re throwing ourselves a big old party,” Brady jokes.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Elsewhere in the interview, Bradyshared the “biggest difference"he sees when parenting his kids, who have a 20-year age gap. Alongside Val, the star is dad to daughterMaīle, 21, whom he shares with his ex-wife Mandie Taketa.

He is also a co-parent of Taketa and her boyfriend Jason Fordham’s sonSundance-Isamu"Sunny,” whom they welcomed through adoption in September 2021.

“It’s a different energy level in parenting. I had Maīle when I was 30, so now with Val, in terms of the physical energy that it takes to run around with him, I can still do it [but] it’s a little harder,” he tells PEOPLE.

“The thing I think with Val that I benefit from is I’ve been there once, now I’ve been to the rodeo, so I think I’m a little better as a parent,” he says, adding that even Maīle has noticed his improved parenting skills.

“Maīle even laughs, she says. ‘The funny thing about Sunny and Mandie and Val and myself is, you two aren’t the parents that I grew up with. Val and Sunny get these parents who have done therapy and worked on themselves and they know parenting. I grew up with the two of you and we all grew up together.'”

“So that’s the biggest difference, is I’ve got a little more parenting under my belt,” adds Brady.

Appearing onThe Jennifer Hudson Showon Tuesday, Oct. 8, the actor opened up about what it took for his untraditional family to get to the healthy place they’re in today as they discussed their new reality showWayne Brady: The Family Remix.

Asked how he’s so authentic in sharing his family dynamic, Brady replied, “So much therapy.”

“Therapy and family, and it feels amazing,” he continued. “This show and us creating it, it was a way of entering this second act of life of trying to live in authenticity.”

source: people.com