Damon Wayans Sr. revealed he once dated his nephew’s ex-girlfriend.
The Major Payne actor, 64, detailed the romance during an appearance on the Wednesday, April 2, episode of the “Club Shay Shay” podcast hosted by former NFL player Shannon Sharpe.
Sharpe, 56, began by asking his guest, “This can’t be true … that you dated the same woman that your nephew was?” Wayans Sr. acknowledged the statement as fact before clarifying the situation.
“I was in love with her, that’s the thing,” Wayans Sr. explained. “Come on, you ain’t never done the Jackson 5?” he added, referring to Jermaine Jackson marrying Alejandra Oaziaza, the ex-girlfriend of Jermaine’s brother Randy Jackson.
The comparison drew laughter from both Wayans Sr. and Sharpe, who told his interview guest, “That’s off-limits, Damon,” to which Wayans Sr. replied, “No, but it wasn’t like they were in love. You know how small the pool is out here in Cali? The dating pool? Like, and this was probably … 2001, 2.”
When asked whether he knew that the woman had dated his nephew, Wayans Sr. said, “Yes, [I knew] when I met her. So I got divorced and I was by myself for two years, and then I saw her and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m in love.’” (Wayans Sr. has nine siblings and shares four children with ex-wife Lisa Thorner: Damon Wayans Jr., Michael Wayans, Cara Wayans and Kyla Wayans.)
It is unclear how many nephews and nieces Wayans Sr. has or which nephew serves as the subject of Wayans Sr.’s claims.
Wayans Sr. added that he had approached his nephew at the time to see if it was OK for him to pursue the woman. “[The nephew was] like, ‘That’s you,’ and I’m like, ‘OK, pass the Courvoisier, let’s go,’” Wayans Sr. recalled.
The discussion erupted into laughter when Wayans Sr. noted that these days, “Family gatherings is awkward.”
Wayans Sr., who is currently seen in the CBS series Poppa’s House, remains a hit with the ladies, with Vivica A. Fox recently telling Us Weekly that the actor was flirty on set. “The beautiful thing is I know the entire [Wayans] family and I’ve worked with the entire family. So believe it or not, that chemistry was at the table read,” Fox, 60, recalled during an exclusive interview with Us published on March 31. “Everybody was rolling because Damon was just flirting.”
The show, which premiered in October 2024, is a family affair for the Wayans clan, with Wayans Sr. and Wayans Jr., 42, seen in front of the camera and various family members directing and writing too.
