From Laughs to Lowkey: What Happened to Shawn Wayans? Here's What He's Doing Now

The Breakdown: Shawn Wayans appeared to dip away from the spotlight following the success of White Chicks. However, he has simply been hustling in silence.

In the early 2000s, the Wayans brothers were on top of the world. The New York native came up in one of Hollywood’s most legendary households. The Wayans crew didn’t just break into the entertainment industry — they kicked the door wide open and brought everybody in with them.

Shawn Wayans first appeared on-screen as DJ SW-1 on In Living Color, the iconic sketch comedy show created by his older brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans. He later teamed up with his younger brother, Marlon Wayans, for some of the most memorable comedies of the early 2000s, including The Wayans Bros.

Since then, Shawn has seemingly stepped back from acting, leaving many fans wondering what happened to the comedy great. While it may look like he’s been laying low, Shawn has actually been keeping busy behind the scenes. Here's a look at what the actor has been up to since stepping out of the spotlight.

Fans concerned about Shawn should refrain from worrying, as the actor appears to be doing fine. In addition to DJing, Shawn has returned to his roots in stand-up comedy, performing at venues across the country, including the Spokane Comedy Club in 2024. He regularly updates fans on his stand-up performances and speaking engagements. However, he was not attached to any major Hollywood project until recently.

In October 2024, Marlon announced that the brothers were officially developing Scary Movie 6.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the new Scary Movie and work with each other again,” Marlon, Shawn and Keenen Wayans told Deadline. “This is a franchise we created more than 20 years ago. We remember people laughing in the aisles and hope to see that happen again. We look forward to working with Jonathan Glickman and his team at the new Miramax to bring these laughs to theaters, where they belong. It’s a double reunion.”

In a later interview with People, Marlon suggested that the film would be as gory and hilarious as the first installment. “We got the gloves off. We're going R. We're going to have the same fun and the same kind of tone and Wayans flavor that we gave on the first one,” he said.

Shawn has always kept his personal life relatively private. While he's not married, he is a devoted father to three children — daughters Laila and Illia, and son Marlon, named after his younger brother. The children are from his past relationship with fitness trainer Ursula Alberto.

Though Shawn and Ursula have since parted ways, they continue to co-parent their children. Shawn occasionally shares glimpses of his family life on social media, celebrating milestones and achievements. He took to Instagram in August 2023, to shout out his daughter Illia for her 21st birthday.

“My beautiful daughter @iliawayans, wearing my sweater, lol, is 21 today. Happy [birthday] … [love you] … proud of [you] and can’t wait to celebrate [you],” he wrote.