Wayne Brady Calls Himself 'Duncle' and Is Ready to Co-Parent Ex-wife's New Baby

America has come to know Wayne Brady as a fun-loving, all-American guy of many diverse talents. If having an affable relationship with his ex-wife, who happens to be his best friend, is any indication of his parenting style, then his new godson is in for a treat. Co-parenting with an ex is not always easy. However, it seems that Brady and his ex-wife Mandy Taketa have created a wonderful co-parenting dynamic that will truly benefit her newly adopted son, Sunny. Brady and Taketa have been divorced for more than 13 years. But when Taketa and her longtime boyfriend, Jason Fordham, announced their adoption story on Instagram, Brady soon followed up that he was a proud "Duncle," a title denoting his new title of being a proud Daddy/Uncle figure.

In true Brady fashion, Brady posted an adorable photo of himself with Sunny to his own Instagram account — decked out in matching father-son outfits, no less. He captioned the photo with the proud sentiment, "Hey y'all, meet Sunny! I love this little man already. They say it takes a village to raise a child and they're right! The village of @mandietaketa, myself, and @jasonmichaelfordham raised @theofficialmailebrady. All children will know is love if that's what you show them. I'm honored to be in his life as his 'Duncle' and I love Mandie and Jason for including me in their journey."

Brady and Taketa already have a teenage daughter named Maile, who they have successfully co-parented over the years, and from the looks of things the parents' amicable co-parenting style is a great asset to her. In a few social media posts, Taketa has shared with viewers the blended family's nickname for themselves, "The Core Four." While this happy-go-lucky blended approach may seem awkward or weird to some, for Brady this love-filled approach is the key to what he believes lends itself to happier kids.

Earlier this year in an interview with Page Six, he shared, "That's just our family. And we aren't like that because we put our daughter first. We are like that because Mandie, my ex, is also my best friend and she's my production partner. We have a company together, we work together, we love each other, we are a family."

For Brady, being a duncle definitely has its benefits. While he gets the privilege of being a girl dad to his daughter, Maile, being a duncle to Sunny gives him an equally rewarding opportunity to be a boy dad as well. Brady definitely has his heart settled on co-parenting little Sunny for the long haul. Of their budding connection, Brady shared in an Instagram video, "He's gonna call me Duncle (Daddy/Uncle), because I plan on being around and doing all that stuff."

Of their unique family situation Brady candidly shared with Access Hollywood, "My ex-wife Mandie and I, we have a different and a very special situation than a lot of people that co-parent. For the entire duration of [Malie's] life, we have co-parented as best friends."

However, Brady has been transparent in the past that finding the right balance in co-parenting is not all fun and games. He candidly admits that parents must be deliberate and self-aware when it comes to the challenges of working together for the benefit of the kids. In an US Magazine interview, he confessed that it's not easy. "If you knew the fighting and the therapy and the tears and the work that it takes to make this look easy, then we've earned the right to co-parent together and we've earned the right to have a blended family." It's work but it's worth it.

And it appears that the divorced duo will continue to flow in unity as they co-parent Sunny in a nurturing environment. If modeling positive behavior for the next generation is an anecdote for empowering kids, parents and guardians may want to take a lesson or two from Brady and Taketa's approach to love-centered parenting. While maintaining peaceful relationships with an ex-spouse or partner may not be the norm for many, Brady and the fam appear to have definitely mastered this approach, and we think "duncle" suits Brady quite well.