Wanda Sykes came out to parents on phone

Wanda Sykes has admitted that she told her parents that she is a lesbian in a "long-distance phone call".

The comedian said that she made sure her family were a "six-hour plane ride" away when she revealed her sexuality.

The 46-year-old came out publicly in 2008 after going to a gay rights rally in Las Vegas.

She told Larry King: "I have parents who are still alive. So yeah… that's why you suppress all that, you bury it, and to try to fit in. I'm 46… My father's in the service. Right, retired colonel. So [I told them in] a long-distance phone call. We're talking, like, coast to coast. You always want to give your family like a six-hour plane ride before they can get to you."

Sykes added of her family's reaction: "We're working on it. They love me. I know without a doubt, my family, they love me. And you know, we're working on it. Keep praying for us."