Rhiannon Ingle
Kerry Washington said that finding out her dad isn't her biological father 'turned her world upside down'.
The Scandal star, 46, opened up about the revelation during an interview about her memoir, Thicker Than Water, and gave fans an inside look as to what the life-changing discovery was like for her.
In the book, Washington revealed the details of the 'emotional journey' she subsequently went on after uncovering the truth.
Advert
In an interview with People, Washington explained: "Right before I sold the book is when I got some really revelatory information from my parents about our family history that really turned my world upside down.
"So every time I would sit down to write this other book idea that I sold, I just couldn't write it. It just didn't feel honest to write about anything other than [the] emotional journey I found myself on."
Her memoir ended up being a way for Washington to work towards understanding her life 'up until now'.
"Given this new information that I have that, in many ways, felt like sort of the missing puzzle piece," she shared.
The Django Unchained actor recalled: "When I got this information, I was like, 'Oh. I now know my story and I get to figure it out,'" after feeling a huge sense of relief after her parents finally told her the truth back in 2018.
At the family sit-down, Washington understandably had a lot of questions to ask but also kept a sense of calm to give her parents patience and understanding during the difficult situation.
In the conversation, the actor was told her parents had made the choice to use an anonymous sperm donor to help conceive after being met with fertility issues.
They admitted they had all but decided never to tell her according to People.
"I didn't know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story," Washington said.
While her parents were initially 'not thrilled' about Washington including the family matter in her memoir, they have since grown to be more supportive of the process.
"This really is a book about me," she stated. "I now get to step into being the most important person in my life."
The shock has since ultimately brought Washington closer with her mum and dad.
"I really started to have so much more love and compassion and understanding for my parents," she said.
"Taking this deep dive into our family history made me put myself in their shoes and think about the things that they've had to navigate and what they've been through and what they've sacrificed.
"And it really made me feel closer to them."