Mandie Taketa helped her ex-husband, Wayne Brady battle depression. The two have been divorced since 2008

Though Mandie Taketa, the former wife of American television personality, has divorced Wayne Brady years ago, she helped her ex-husband battle with depression.

Brady, well known as the upbeat comedian admitted that he had secretly battled with depression for years. He credited his ex-wife Mandie with helping him fight through the issue.

The event that hit Wayne particularly hard was the tragic passing of his fellow comedian, Robin Williams. Wayne revealed that he had a ‘complete breakdown’ on his 42nd birthday in June of 2014.

Despite being divorced over eight years, Mandie helped him battle and win over depression.

In an interview with etonline.com, Wayne says that they are still close friends.

“It’s an understatement to say she’s my best friend in the world. I’ve got a woman who may not be my wife but I’ve got a woman at my back that says, ‘If you touch him, I will cut you’.”

Wayne is blessed to have supportive people like Mandie in his life. Even after their divorce, they are always present for each other. It is evident in how Mandie helped him fight with depression.

Mandie Taketa had met Wayne in 1996 during his musical revue at Oahu, Hawaii. She was a dancer at the show back then. They started dating each other and moved to Los Angeles. After her affair with longtime boyfriend, she got married with Wayne in 1999. This was a second marriage for Wayne as he had married Diana Lasso earlier in 1993 but got divorced in 1995.

In 2003, they celebrated the birth of their daughter, Maile Masako Brady. They were leading a happy family life. But things went wrong somehow and the couple decided to part their ways. Their divorce was finalized in 2008.

Even after their separation, they had no hard feelings for one another. They always gave priority to their daughter before anything else. Mandie even bought a home in the neighborhood of Wayne so that they could easily co-parent their daughter, Maile. They have been fulfilling their responsibilities as parents even after their divorce.

In addition to being a dancer and an actress, Mandie is a yoga instructor, a physical therapist and a bodybuilder. She has also won many bodybuilding competitions. She has also founded three different companies, Anything Everything Productions, Adell body Works and This Lifetime.

Wayne is best remembered for his work in television including Whose Line is it anyway, The Wayne Brady Show, Don’t Forget the Lyrics and Let’s Make a Deal. He has also appeared in numerous movies and TV shows.

African American comedian, Wayne Brady has an estimated net worth of $10 million.