Kerry Washington is getting vulnerable about sharing pieces of her personal life with the world and engaging in activism.
During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the 46-year-old Scandal star discussed her new memoir Thicker Than Water, and she didn’t hold back.
Kerry called writing her book “a healing experience” that allowed her “to seek out Truth with a capital T.”
Keep reading to find out what she shared…
The actress reveals in Thicker Than Water that the man who raised her is not her biological father.
For a long time, it felt very right for me to maintain more privacy, particularly after my loss of anonymity,” she explained. “But then when my parents shared this information with me, to not be more transparent about the shifting nature in our family dynamic felt like I was perpetuating a false narrative that they had given me. I was ready to share more of myself as I was on this journey of self-discovery.”
In her book, Kerry also writes about certain childhood experiences that led her to be the politically active woman she is today.
“I want to help people understand that politics isn’t an abstract idea that belongs in the hands of a few privileged folks,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. “Politics is everything. It’s our lives, it’s how we eat, it’s how we breathe, it’s where we live, it’s what we wear, it’s what we say and what we read, it’s how our kids go to school and whether or not we have access to adequate healthcare. It’s not a theoretical framework.’
The actress shared that her activism is actually somewhat “selfish” because it helps her move forward during challenging times.
“I find that when I’m in despair about the state of the world – and the attacks on human rights, equity and justice – plugging into activism and plugging into community helps to alleviate that despair,” she told the magazine. “It helps me to feel like I’m part of the solution. Taking action is what helps me cultivate hope.”
Kerry recently revealed the last celebrity she texted, which athlete slid into her DMs, and more during a television appearance.