In an interview with Essence Magazine about his new role in the biopic film Respect, Marlon Wayans talked about details regarding his character. He said he was never married because he wanted his mom to be his number one lady. 

The film, about Aretha Franklin and her journey to stardom, featured Wayans in a leading role as Ted White, Aretha’s love interest.

“I wanted to play love because that I don’t think we get to see a lot of as Black people,” Wayans said. “What was beautiful about Lady Sings the Blues is that man loved that woman. That made my sister’s skin crawl. My momma cried. It was a romance.”

 “I know that we’ll get into the abuse, but I’m going to make y’all fall in love with this relationship. We’re going to fall in love with Ted and Aretha,” he added. 

“That’s what I love about the movie,” he continued. “It doesn’t show women as, ‘Oh, she’s stupid. She’s getting abused. Why don’t you just leave?’ No, she loves that man. That man loves her. He’s just insecure. They have a damaged relationship, but he loves her. He just doesn’t know how.”

On the topic of love, Wayans spilled the tea behind his reason for never getting married, saying that the decision was attributed to his love for his mom.

“I never got married because I knew my mom needed me. Women sometimes want to battle for your attention, they want to battle for your love, they want to be the one. Me and my mama share the same birthday. I’m not trying to hear you,” he said.

“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,” Wayans said. “I like friendships because you just learn each other, and you just grow, and you just get better.”

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The White Chicks actor made sure that before his mother passed, she knew that she was his leading lady. 

On her deathbed, he told her, “‘Can I tell you something, woman?’ She was in a lot of pain, and she was fighting to stay alive, and I say, ‘I’m 47 years old, and I’ve never been married because I always wanted you to be my number one girl.’ My mother turned over, she looked at me, she grabbed my hand, and she pulled me close to her. I said, ‘I know, I love you too’ and I gave her a kiss and I said, ‘I’ll see you soon, but not that soon because I got a shit load of life to live.’ She laughed in pain, and I gave her a kiss, and those were my last words to my mom.”

Wayans has two kids, his daughter Amai Zackary Wayans and son Shawn Howell Wayans from his long-term relationship with Angela Zackery, which lasted over two decades. The couple never married. 

In a social media post commending his colleague, Jennifer Hudson, Wayans urged his followers to watch Respect.

He said, “Y’all see this movie. This woman KILLS IT! Literally the best performance I’ve ever watched. So proud of you. A great singer, phenomenal actress and the most beautiful soul.”