Gary Owen is getting candid about cheating in his previous marriage and why he says his current one is different.
Owen, 52, discussed being unfaithful to his ex-wife, Kenya Duke, during an interview with VladTV, released Aug. 22, explaining why he expects to be “100% faithful” to his current wife, Brianna Johnson.
"The biggest difference between this marriage and my last marriage is that we weren't intimate at all," Owen said. "We had sex three times in the last six years of our marriage."
The stand-up comedian said he and Duke "weren’t in sync in the bedroom" and had struggled with intimacy even before those final years but added that things were different in his current marriage.
"It's not like that with my current wife. I enjoy being intimate with her. I look forward to coming home," Owen said. "I've already told her, I said, 'Look, just know the day I get home, just be ready.' That’s how you keep a man."
Owen clarified that his comments were not meant as a "knock on my ex-wife," saying the disconnect was mutual. "The feeling was mutual. We just weren’t into each other," he said. "If we were, we would have been sleeping together."
According to Owen, "you’re a roommate if you’re not sleeping with your spouse."
Gary Owen, wife Brianna Johnson have open communication
He also said that he and Johnson are more open about their needs and expectations, adding that their relationship does not have the same disconnect he experienced in his first marriage.
"If she’s not in the mood, you can't just go, 'No, I'm not in the mood.' You have to be like, 'Look, I'm tired. I'm worn out. I got you in the morning. I got you tomorrow. I promise.' That's different. As a man, you're like, 'Cool, I can wait. I can wait till tomorrow,'" Owen explained. "Women need to know, you can't just say no and not give us when it is going to happen," he said, adding that it makes men feel "guilty."
Gary Owen relationships, marriages, children
Owen and Johnson tied the knot in Houston on March 7, 2026, after welcoming twin sons Royal and Rome in July 2023.
The comedian was previously married to Duke for nearly 18 years. The former couple married in 2003 before Duke filed for divorce in 2021. They share two children, son Austin and daughter Kennedy. Duke also has a son, Emilio, from a previous relationship.
Owen has also spoken publicly about his strained relationship with his older children. In July, he reunited with Duke and Austin for the first time in years, with Owen writing on Instagram, "Even with all the craziness the past 5 plus years we did have a lot of good times together."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gary Owen makes candid admission about first marriage that changed him
