Kerry Washington has been a beloved actress for decades. From early career standouts in movies like She Hate Me to her critically acclaimed performances on Scandal to hit movies like Django Unchained, Kerry, 46, has been a massive star of both the big and small screen.
Kerry opened up about her personal life and career in her detailed 2023 memoir, Thicker Than Water. In the book, she shares insights about her family, including some surprising revelations. With that in mind, News47.us has compiled everything you need to know about her parents, husband, and kids here.
Kerry was born to her parents Valerie and Earl Washington in 1977. Her mom was a college professor, teaching education. She was also a former elementary school teacher and taught at Lehman College, per Norwood News. Valerie was a guest on her daughter’s Street You Grew Up On series to discuss her upbringing in the Bronx in January 2022.
While Kerry has done well in the acting business, she has previously revealed that her mom asked her to pursue a more stable career. “She really, really wanted me to go to law school,” she told People in 2020. “Oh my God, it’s what she begged me to do. She used to say to me, ‘Closing arguments are just like monologues.’”
Kerry’s dad, Earl, was a real estate broker as she was growing up. Like her mom, he also made appearances in some of her funny videos on social media. The actress opened up about one of the most shocking revelations about her dad in her new book. She revealed that she learned that she was conceived with the help of a sperm donor, and Earl is not her biological father. She revealed her parents told her in 2018, when she was planning to appear on the PBS show Finding Your Roots. “It really turned my world upside down,” she told People. “I didn’t know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story.”
Kerry also revealed that when she was younger her parents also used to get into huge arguments, which caused her to have panic attacks. “I was dizzied with terror, no ground beneath me; it was crazy-making, endless. And sad,” she wrote in Thicker Than Water.
The actress revealed that after learning that she was conceived by a donor, it was a chance to “re-investigate” her life in an interview on The View on October 16, 2023. She said that her parents were going to take the secret “to their grave,” but now she felt like it had a positive impact. “We were able to be in truth together and be closer than we’ve ever been before,” she said. On The View, she also said that she was looking to find her donor now.
