Eek, Damon Wayans ‘fell head over heels in love’ with his nephew’s ex-girlfriend

Comedian Damon Wayans Sr. recently shared a surprising story about his personal life, admitting he once dated his nephew’s ex-girlfriend. He revealed this during an interview on the Club Shay Shay podcast. It was pretty interesting, considering how far the age gap must have been.

The whole thing happened around 2001, not long after Wayans divorced his wife, Lisa Thorner, ending their 16-year marriage. According to TMZ, After being single for about two years, he unexpectedly fell hard for a woman—only to later find out she had once dated his nephew. Wayans made it clear that his nephew and the woman hadn’t been in a serious relationship—it was more casual.

Once he learned about their past, he decided to talk to his nephew directly. Surprisingly, his nephew didn’t seem bothered and even gave his approval for Wayans to date her. This led to a relationship that, according to Wayans, ended on good terms. Still, it did make family get-togethers a little awkward afterward. Wayans joked about the situation, comparing it to the Jackson family—specifically when Jermaine Jackson married his brother Randy’s ex-girlfriend.

Damon Wayans Sr. dated his nephew’s ex

Wayans was making light of the whole thing to show how love and family can sometimes take unexpected turns. I’d like to point out the timing of it all. Wayans had just gone through a divorce in 2001, leaving him single after a long marriage. Then, out of nowhere, he developed strong feelings for his nephew’s ex. These two things—recently ending a marriage and suddenly falling for someone with family ties—likely influenced his decision to go for it, even if it was unusual.

Even though the relationship made some family moments awkward, it didn’t seem to ruin his close connections with his relatives. Wayans is famous for working with his family in Hollywood, often collaborating with his siblings and kids. His brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, created the hit show In Living Color, which starred Damon and several of his siblings. More recently, Damon has been starring in the CBS show Poppa’s House with his son, Damon Wayans Jr., while other family members like Marlon and Kim Wayans have also been involved.

In a recent interview with PEOPLE magazine, Wayans talked about how working with family comes naturally because of the built-in trust and chemistry. This shows that, despite any romantic drama, his family bonds remain strong.