The Untold Truth Of Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes is certainly no stranger to television viewers, thanks to her appearances in series like Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," the Julia Louis-Dreyfus sitcom "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and Sykes' own Netflix comedy "The Upshaws." She's also built up a following as a standup comic, entertaining thousands upon thousands of fans over the years with her hilariously wry observations on topics ranging from why every white person needs a Black friend to her first time getting waxed. 

In February 2022, "Good Morning America" revealed that Sykes would play a major role in Hollywood's biggest night, teaming up with fellow comic Amy Schumer and actor Regina Hall to host the 94th annual Academy Awards. 

Fans have learned plenty about this fascinating comedian, actor, and writer over the years; interviewed by Us Weekly, in fact, Sykes shared various tidbits about herself, such as being an ardent tennis fan, her "go-to karaoke song" (Macy Gray's "I Try"), and her discovery on a PBS genealogy show that she's related to The Roots' Questlove. Clearly, there's much more to discover, which will be revealed by reading on to learn the untold truth of Wanda Sykes

Participating in Us Weekly's "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" feature, Wanda Sykes revealed that had she not become a standup comic, another creative vocation may have beckoned. "If I wasn't a comedian, I'd be a chef," said Sykes. "I am a good cook. The most requested dish my family asks me to make is beef bourguignon."

Chatting with Vegas Eater, Sykes detailed some other specialties in her culinary arsenal. "My lamb chops are pretty good. I make a mean spaghetti sauce. Roast chicken. There's a bean dish; I look to cook beans. And then I like to go on Epicurious or read cookbooks and try something out," she said. In fact, Sykes revealed in an interview with NPR's "Morning Edition" that she has "a passion for cooking," and does "most of the cooking" in her household. The reason, she joked, was because of the quality of her wife's cooking, which "tastes like necessity." When her wife does cook, she told Vegas Eater, "she's not really into it. I prefer to cook while she's with the kids."

Sykes is also a fan of haute cuisine. As she divulged, she had recently visited famed chef Joël Robuchon's L'Atelier in Paris, where she immensely enjoyed his butter-soaked potato puree. "They should have EMTs on site waiting to rush you off to the nearest hospital or at least a defibrillator," she cracked.

In 2009, Wanda Sykes was tapped to perform at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Entertaining a crowd that included politicians on both sides of the aisle, as well as then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Sykes delivered an eviscerating routine that Deadline described as "more harsh partisanship than funny comedy."

As The Washington Post pointed out a few years later, Sykes "received considerable criticism" for her "scathing jokes" about right-leaning figures such as Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh; as Mother Jones reported, members of the audience booed when she said of the latter, "I hope his kidneys fail."

Subsequently interviewed by The New York Times Magazine, Sykes admitted she had regrets about that night — not about her jokes, but about her interactions with the first lady. "I still kick myself about it," she said. Sykes explained that she had a chance to chat with Michelle Obama at the event, but the comic "was so focused on having to go up and perform" that evening that she ended up "blowing her off." She continued, "I think I even looked at her one time like: 'Will you shut up? Don't you see I'm sitting here going over my notes?'" When Sykes ran into Obama subsequently, "we laughed about it. She was like, 'I was just trying to make conversation, and you wanted nothing to do with me.'"

Throughout her comedy career, Wanda Sykes has worn many hats, including writer, producer, talk show host, and actor. Of all the various aspects of her talents, however, she prefers to express herself via standup comedy. Interviewing Sykes for NPR's Fresh Air, host Terry Gross asked about the experience of being a comedian, "when your job is truth-telling." That prompted Sykes to respond, "You know, maybe that's why I love doing standup. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's where I can — I feel I can be free."

Sykes has admitted that an audience's response to a joke that kills can be downright intoxicating, particularly at late-night shows when the crowd is less uptight (and probably drunker). It's during those shows, she explained in a Netflix promotional video for her 2019 special "Wanda Sykes: Not Normal," when she can really push the envelope and cut loose. "And the audience, man, when they're really into it, and they're having a good time, it gives you permission, right?"

In a Variety interview about that special, Sykes discussed how her standup had evolved over the years. "My sensibilities are pretty much the same, but I think I've gotten better as a performer," she explained. "Before it was all about the material and relying on the jokes, but now my acting out and really performing the material has really improved."

Wanda Sykes was only a few years into her career as a comic when her career began to take off. As she recounted to Oprah Winfrey's website, while working for Chris Rock's show in 1998, she landed her first-ever Comedy Central special — a very big deal. However, her life behind the scenes hit a serious rough patch. "The week before I was scheduled to go to Los Angeles to film the show, my marriage fell apart," she shared. "Friday morning we separated and my husband left; I went to work and was a mess." Sykes told The New York Times Magazine that her relationship with then-husband Dave Hall had become fodder for her standup act while they were together — but not in a good way. Reflecting on her material from that time, she said, "I was being honest."

Though her personal life was in shambles, Sykes did not slow down. Following their split, she shared with Oprah.com, she "hopped from comedy club to comedy club, working on my act." Suddenly, she felt free to confront the one subject she'd been avoiding onstage: her failing marriage. According to Sykes, she'd been "fairly honest" in her act, but now she "wasn't holding anything back." She said she experienced a "tremendous sense of liberation" at no longer having to worry about one of her jokes offending her husband. Ultimately, she realized, "At the end of the day, I just have to answer to myself."

In addition to her comedy career, Wanda Sykes is also the mother of fraternal twins, born in 2009 to her wife, Alex Niedbalski. Not surprisingly, Sykes' family life often provides material for her comedy, and such was the case when she paid a 2021 visit to "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." During that appearance, she described her son's desire for a very specific pet. "My son, he really wanted a snake for Christmas," Sykes revealed. "And I was like, 'Hell no!' And I told him, 'You're not going to be that kind of kid. You're not going to be the weird kid with the reptiles.'"

Recounting the anecdote on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," Sykes revealed she "compromised and got geckos, 'cause you know, geckos, at least they have feet." However, she subsequently discovered the two geckos she'd purchased were of different sexes, leading to some unexpected complications when eggs began appearing in the reptiles' habitat after the male and female geckos had been "doin' it all night."

Explaining that her aim was not to become a gecko breeder, Sykes bought a second tank in order to keep the amorous geckos separated. Asked if the tanks were at least in close proximity so the geckos could see each other, Sykes insisted the two tanks were in "separate rooms," so the male gecko would be "in the trashcan of your memories" for the female lizard.

Wanda Sykes' decision to come out as gay was not a carefully thought-out plan. As she explained in an essay for InStyle, she was attending a rally supporting same-sex marriage when she "was put on the spot and called up onstage to say a few words. I had nothing prepared, but I'm known to wing it, so I just came out right then. And the next thing you know, it was on CNN." 

Once she was out, Sykes felt that she had no choice but to use her platform as a celebrity to advocate for LGBTQ+ causes. "We all deserve to be happy, and we're all unique, so we should celebrate that," she added. "Once I made that decision, it was so liberating."

To commemorate being honored for her activism by Detroit's Ruth Ellis Center, Sykes spoke with Pride Source about why she felt it was important to use her platform as a way to address LGBTQ+ issues in a comedic way. "My comedy is grounded in the real world, and for me to not talk about it, to not say, 'Hey, I'm aware of what's going on,' it just feels like I've been intentionally avoiding it," she explained. 

After a decades-spanning comedy career, Wanda Sykes has made enough money to live comfortably. In fact, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that she's sitting atop a fortune estimated at a cool $10 million. Given how much her already-high profile will be raised due to hosting the 2022 Oscars alongside Amy Schumer and Regina Hall, she seems poised to add even more cash to her coffers in the future. 

Despite her wealth, there have been occasions when Sykes has had to fight to be paid the amount of money she feels she deserves. That was true when she entered negotiations with Netflix for her 2019 special, "Wanda Sykes: Not Normal." Speaking at a Q&A during Variety's 2019 Silicon Valleywood conference, as reported by Variety, Sykes admitted she'd rejected a previous offer from Netflix because she "felt I was low-balled." 

However, she also insisted she didn't take it personally. "This is what they feel the special is worth. I disagree and I'm going to find another buyer," Sykes said of her earlier talks with Netflix. "This time around, Netflix came in with a good offer. It wasn't Dave Chappelle money but I'm not doing Dave Chappelle business," she added, referencing reports that Chappelle was paid $20 million for each of his Netflix standup specials. "The offer was commensurate with the business I was doing," Sykes said.