EXCLUSIVE
Marlon Wayans has just filed legal docs defending an Instagram post in which he called an extra from his movie, "Haunted House 2" a n**** and a Cleveland lookalike ... saying the n word is a term of endearment and the dude DOES look like Cleveland.
Marlon says in the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- he grew up in the projects of NYC, where black men and women frequently used the n word (with both an a and an r) as a colloquial term of camaraderie.
Wayans says he doesn't restrict use of the word to his black friends, bragging in his declaration he calls his "Haunted House 2" co-star Jaime Pressly the n word. And get this ... Jaime filed her own declaration saying, "Mr. Wayans has addressed me as n**** in the past, and frequently uses it as a term of endearment with his friends and family."
As for the photo that triggered the lawsuit ... Marlon says it's ridiculous. Pierre Daniel posed for the pic and even has a scene in the movie where he's referred to as Cleveland.
So separated at birth.