Kerry Washington on discovering her dad isn't her biological father: 'My world turned upside down'

Kerry Washington, the renowned 46-year-old star of Scandal, has disclosed a profound family secret in her forthcoming memoir, Thicker Than Water. In this intimate autobiography, Washington unveils that her father, Earl Washington, is not her biological dad, a revelation that ushered her into a transformative phase of self-discovery.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Washington opened up about her feelings and shared, "It really turned my world upside down."

Washington's revelation came to light when she spoke to her parents about her participation in Henry Louis Gates Jr’s PBS series, Finding Your Roots, where celebrities delve into their ancestral past through DNA testing.

Upon this disclosure, her parents, Valerie, a professor, and Earl, a real estate agent, engaged in a private conversation with Gates, who advised them to address this deeply buried family secret privately before filming. The turning point arrived in the spring of 2018 when Washington received a text message inviting her to a family sit-down.

"When I got this information, I was like, 'Oh. I now know my story,'" says the star, who recalls feeling a sense of relief at the news after long feeling her parents were keeping things from her and that something was missing. "I didn't know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story.

Remaining composed, Washington asked numerous questions to her parents during this undoubtedly challenging moment. She learned that her parents, grappling with fertility issues, had chosen to employ an anonymous sperm donor to conceive, opting not to reveal this to her.

The weight of this hidden truth may have contributed to her struggles with anxiety, self-esteem, and an eating disorder in her youth. In her words, "I think that dissonance of like, 'Somebody is not telling me something about my body,' made me feel like there was something in my body I had to fix."

While her parents initially expressed reservations about her decision to pen this deeply personal account, they gradually became supportive throughout the writing process. For Washington, this memoir represents a significant step in her journey toward self-discovery. She reflects, "This really is a book about me. I now get to step into being the most important person in my life."

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