Kerry Washington's Parents LIED About Her Paternity & It Caused Her OBSESSION With Her Weight 

That was a horrible secret for her mother to keep from her . Kids deserve to know who thier biological parents are

Parents don't realize the harm they do to their children by lying and keeping secrets. They claim to be doing it for the child instead of taking accountability. These lies are to protect them, not the child/children. A child should know who their biological parent/parents are even if they're not there, as soon as they start asking. I have seen this in my own family, and it's hurtful to a child. I'd rather suffer a small amount of embarrassment than to hurt my child like that.

Cool video, My relationship of 5 years ended a month ago. The love of my life decided to leave me, I really love her so much I can’t stop thinking about her, I’ve tried my very best to get her back in my life, but to no avail, I’m frustrated, I don’t see my life with anyone else. I’ve done my best to get rid of the thoughts of her, but I can’t, I don’t know why I’m saying this here, I really miss her and just can’t stop thinking about her

Those type of secrets are very harmful. My grandmother would not tell my uncle who his father was. She died with that secret. He begged her until she closed her eyes. It hurt him so badly and he died not knowing.

And I have a feeling that her parents are still lying to her….They probably know who her father is.

as an adoptee whose parents told me as soon as I was old enough to digest that info, and who has friends who now have to heal through their parents’ deceit, I am immensely grateful for how my parents handled this situation. I can’t understand why anyone would want to keep this secret from their child for a lifetime.

I know exactly how she feels. I found out five years ago, by taking an Ancestry test, that the man I thought was my father is not. Im 43 now, but was 38 at the time and it was traumatic. To make matters worst, my mom passed when I was 28. I always knew I was different from my siblings and vocalized it as a kid, they thought I was trying to be "different " from them , so I stopped saying it. As an adult now, with time to cope. I've made peace with never knowing who my bio dad is. I truly hope Kerry allows herself to grieve that loss, allow herself to go through the emotions of anger to acceptance towards her parents, and ultimately, be at peace.❤

I have a friend that CANNOT Get her mom to tell her who her father is

Sorry to say this, but an anonymous sperm donor sounds a little suspicious to me. Just my opinion.

I know someone that this happened to. Her mom got pregnant in college the father didn’t want anything to do with the baby he signed over his rights. Her mom met someone when she was two years old got married and had other children. She grew up thinking the man was her father. Fast forward she was 22 and getting ready to graduate college someone started inboxing her on Facebook saying she was her paternal grandmother. At first her mom lied about it then she told the truth. The man she saw work two jobs to put her through private school and college was not her father. Her world fell apart when things started making sense to her. She didn’t look like her siblings and always wondered why she was darker,around her birthday and Christmas gifts would come for her in the mail which turned out they were from her paternal grandmother who wanted to be in her life.

As someone who is adopted, I believe it should be illegal for parents to keep such a secret. I’m glad Kerry is healing from this 😊

You never know what a person is going through

Oh! Her mum's a REAL Jamaican then. Plenty of secrets in West Indian families where parents either stepped out and then raised the love child in their nuclear family OR the woman's first child was with someone else and she later married someone else and that child was raised by the new husband. I have a story like this in my own family. I try not to judge but lt's trifling behaviour. I dont believe a Jamaican woman would've chosen a sperm donor all those years ago- for cultural reasons alone not to mention how widely available this would've been plus the likelihood of finding a Black sperm donor? Yeah right.

This is odd 🧐. There were black sperm donors back in the late 60’s early 70’s? She sure her mama don’t know who her dad is and just don’t want to tell her? 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’m definitely reading the book because I have a lot of questions.

Whenever I look at her I always thought she had East African phenotype. Her face structure is similar to Somali, Ethiopian or Eritrean.

Damn🤦🏿 People please tell your children the truth.

Her mom definitely told partial truths 🤔

Parents can be incredibly selfish when they keep secrets. They say they are doing it for the child's benefit. But, it's really for their benefit.

I don’t believe it was a donor… sorry it was the 70s

This happened to me and I just found out 2 years ago that even though my parents were married for 36 years that my mom cheated & got pregnant with me. She died in 2016 and I did an AncestryDNA test in 2021 & found out the truth. Then I had to do a DNA test with the father that raised me that’s on my birth certificate that my mom was married too. It came back with 0% probability. He blamed me for telling him after I discovered it. I have other family that was upset with me too when I didn’t do anything wrong. The only difference is my “dad” didn’t really know.

Wow, reading the comments of others who have similar stories like Kerry Washington is quite sad. Every child should have the right(s) to be born knowing who their bio parents are no matter the situation or circumstances of their birth. And for a mother to keep important information from their child (they claim to unconditionally love) is very selfish and deceitful.

Damn they wasn't going to never tell her .she could have gotten with her brother. How selfish or they.😔🤦🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️.

*I WAS RIGHT THIS WHOLE TIME!* I know DNA can be unpredictable at times, but I've ALWAYS said she looks nothing like her parents and OFTEN wondered if she was adopted. Her bone structure was too far off.

Kids can deal with the truth its the lies they cannot handel...children understand more than you think and she needed to know who are real father was because it affect the rest of her life...wow who does that ..this is almost unforgivable 😮😮😮

2018!!! If they were going to keep it from her they could have at least told her this when she turned 18. This makes me so sad for people whose parents are deceptive towards them.

Isn’t it crazy how her parents kept a secret between the two of them all this time, then only for everyone else to now know their secret. Just goes to show that the truth will eventually come to light.

Parents would say they keep it a secret to shield the child. But that's a cop out. They keep it a secret for themselves. In this case they did not want people to know the father could not have children.

I could never imagine holding information like that from my kid . Geez so toxic

I am glad that Kerry Washington spoke on Eating Disorders especially with Women of Color.

I think some parents really suffer from mental issues and never think their children will grow up and asks questions.

You’d be AMAZED how many of us are going through this. I was the family joke for YEARS!!! Everyone knew EXCEPT me!!! I haven’t spoken to them in YEARS and they couldn’t care less…

Da Jango 😂Lol. Girl the D in Django is silent

Damn her parent's played a SCANDAL on her.

People have the right to know who their parents are. But a lot of you will be disappointed to meet the parent that probably didn’t want you. Especially if you’re a black American.

Parents learn later on that those secrets you keep from your kids cause major trauma for the kid once they become an adult..it doesnt help the kid , it hurts the kid..

I call b.s. ..if it were true, they would have told her when she was 18………aaaaaam, not buying it…..I suspect some not so kosher shenanigans….

Nah it’s giving affair but that’s none of my business 👀☕️😂

She should still do ancestry to find her birth father

So unfair to her. I hope getting the truth out there helps her heal!

I can’t believe that she would be able to forgive them so easily. Someone should really watch her. Whoever is her friend. Real friend.

1st Kirk Franklin and now Kerry Washington. 😢! Deception of Parents. Kirk's situation 😢😅. Will be purchasing that book.

I know someone who's mom told him in his teens that his father was not someone that she had a relationship with but, a sperm donor. He has never been the same again due to the fact that an anonymous sperm donor was his father. He wishes that he wasn't told. These situations can go both ways,so l understand her parents decision.

This is the story of a lot of Gen X. And I honestly question the validity of it being a sperm donor and not someone she had an affair with. Baby boomers will lie their butts off in order to protect their reputation. This also happened to Tyler Perry and he didn't find out about his dad not being his father until after his mom died. Its sickening that so many kids have had to grow up like this. Part of our identities are wrapped in who our parents are, and no matter how hard we try to be different from them they are part of our story and our history.

Black folks did sperm donations back then???

I didnt know the man who I called Dad was not my dad until my mother died. My oldest sister couldn't wait to tell me😢.

Join the club. My mom stay lying about who my father is. 🤦🏽‍♀️ She should have chose better.

I still cannot get over Kirk Franklin life. The truth must come to light.

I'm still waiting for this book to be released

This is profoundly deep! I pray that she finds the personal/emotional balance and self-acceptance that she deserves.

I feel something more is going to come out on this

When protection becomes harm. When she was old enough to understand right from wrong, she should have been told about her biological father

My mother will not let me see my original birth certificate, now I'm beginning to get suspicious

The number of people who don’t know their actual paternity is astounding, the secrets women keep , especially when it comes to paternity is incredible. It’s become so that when I see people with their parents in my head I’m always thinking “maybe that’s not your father”, I can’t help it😫. Dna testing should be compulsory. Peace to everyone.

This happens more than it’s talked about in Black families. My stepmother begged her mother who is now deceased, who her father is but she refused. I don’t know if her mother felt like this was her own personal business or if she didn’t really know. It was rumored to be a local prominent radio personality. But her mother would never admit to it. My stepmother has since passed away as well and never was able to find out.

I didn't have an eating disorder, but I had that desire of being perfect and the good girl because I always felt out of place as well. I had a relationship with the father who raised me, but it was never like it should have been because he had his own issues as well. At the age of 51, after doing ancestry, and thinking back to a comment made by a so-called friend of my mother after my father's death I learned that my father was not my biological dad. Unfortunately, my birth father died when I was a junior in high school, so I never had the opportunity to meet him and the father I grew up knowing never knew the truth before his death. My mother passed when I was 27 and took this secret to her grave, so I am left with so many unanswered questions. On the upside I found two sisters and have met other relatives on his side of the family all because of Ancestry. Ancestry is definitely a great tool, but it will definitely reveal some secrets if you decide to take that journey.

A lot of these celebs are sold by their parents into chaos and lie to them about their parentage. They say their mom is their grandmother, is actually their sister, they don't know their fathers... etc. So many examples of this. & nobody wonders why?

I always loved Kerry. I never would have guessed she was going through this. I thought she looked great on Scandle.🥂 to her going forward in her new life journey! ❤🫶🏾

Wonder if she tested both parents!

That’s crazy!! Typically people find out as teenagers. They never told her until recently.

I always thought she looks Somali / East African . Anyone else agree ?

I can relate. Not bc my parents lied to me but bc ive been forced to keep this secret from two of my siblings. They believe my father is their bio father but we found out during my parents divorce that they weren't. My mom threatened that neither me or my father are to tell them. Meanwhile, so many other family members know. It was over 15 years ago and they are not in the mid and early 20s. It feels so awful but at this point I don't think any of us want to be the ones to tell them. However, if its up to my mom she will never tell them. My dad despite being hurt never treated them differently. I respect him for that.

What kind of parents are these

I know at least 3 people with this story. It is devastating to them.

The parents were wrong for that

People need to stop screwing up these kids!!

Those were the old days of logic. There was a lifetime of shame on women who gave up their child and those who couldn't have a child. Because of the advice given, they took it to the grave. These days, everything in the open and the stigma is gone, so everyone should come clean and heal.

She is so beautiful❤

The Truth is always the best. The Truth truly does set you free! Why are we afraid to speak Truth?

This is a sad story! Being lied to for years! I’m glad she has resolution!

When I started noticing her weight loss I thought the same thing you did lailah.. I think it’s wrong that her parents let so much time go by before they said anything.

This happened to me as well. I was raised & named after the man my mom dated after my bio dad. Well, she actually was dealing with them both at the same time. But, my mom, my ‘Goddad’, & my bio dad all are know who my bio dad is. I look just like him & his family as well. Yet, my Goddad’s family lives in denial. They still don’t accept that my Goddad isn’t my real dad. It’s crazy that I am the only who is named after my Goddad. Yet, he has other kids & none of them are named after them. Including the son that my mom actually had by my Goddad. My brother has never met my Goddad & most of my Goddad’s family didn’t even know that he existed. My brother was adopted by a family friend as a baby. Man! I could go on & on. It’s sick that there’s so many lies in black families. It’s sick

Sounds like she had a father so it’s not like she lacked but to keep that from her was terrible because she may have felt like an odd ball when comparing her features and attributes to her family

I bet the mother is still lying... anonymous sperm donor? Yea, okay

I know my biological parents but I don't know or really have a connection with my paternal side - my dad's siblings and parents. It's been hard because I was kept from knowing them because my mom had "issues" with them and vice/versa. Sometimes I feel lost because the last 2 Aunts have dementia, so I can't ask questions about "why" I do certain things. I missed out on a lot of things and it hurts. I was not and I Still am not like anyone on my mom's side. I understand how Kerry feels. I overeat until I make myself sick too and then go days fasting - seeking the help from God that I truly need. I just started crying again😢 Lord help us!!! I feel her pain.

Her parents and mother in particular, was out of pocket for this. Unsure if I would be able to ever trust them as I would always question everything said.

Now i know why i like her so much.. similar story, different face. Praying for her healing. This is an unbearably hard pill to swallow.

Well you know hopefully truth now prevail. Her parents are very private.

ED and Orthorexia are typically symptoms of a need to feel some sense of control in an environment that feels chaotic. This can't all be because she didn't know her dad was not her biological dad. Something's not adding up. She's omitting something. Much love to her though. I didn't need an explanation about her weight, even if I was curious. It was none of my business.

I watched her interview with Robin Roberts that was on tv Sunday night. She speaks highly of her parents and they speak highly of her. Her mom and dad seem like lovely people, smart and caring. Beautiful woman and glad she’s sharing her life.

Wow! Why not tell her before then? There’s nothing to be ashamed of

Sadly I feel tt her parents are still not telling the whole truth about it being an anonymous doner. Anyway, all the best to that lovely talented actress.

We’ve been known she had disordered eating. But She looked great when she was pregnant. She’s looked underweight since then.

She's had an eating disorder for a long time. She looked healthy on save the last dance

I was lied to about my biological father my entire life.

I remember I kept saying this back 2015.. when I first saw Kerry Washington father!!

That is sooo trifling for parents to DO that to the children!!! It's NOT for the protection of the child, it's for the EGO of the parent. It is VERY selfish!!!

I'm surprised people didn't know she has an eating disorder.

My mom grew up not knowing who her dad was. When I was 16 my grandma would randomly share infomation about my moms dad with me. I always felt bad for my mom and wanted to tell my granddma to share her not me because I knew who my dad was but I wouldn't dare otter those words. He met my mom when she was in my late 40 but they didn't keep in touch...it was just sad that I knew more about that man than his child did.

Her parents should’ve told her that along time ago. And I don’t know, my Spidey senses are tingling. I don’t feel like it’s just an “anonymous sperm donor”.

Hmmm there has to be more to her story because at the time of her eating disorder she did not know about her paternity. Did her parents treat her differently? Did they make her feel like she doesn’t belong? Perhaps we need to read her book to find out because am I the only one this didn’t make any sense to? Is she blaming the eating disorder on something she found out decades later?

So glad Kerry got it together!!

Why would you do this to a child

She's been knowing for 5 years.

Parents shouldn't hide anything like this. I feel bad for her to go through this. we all figure that celebrities don't go through struggles, but they do even more. wow this is incredibly crazy.

I didn’t know she had a book so thanks!

My heart ❤ goes out to Kerry and everyone in the comments who experienced something similar to this. Praying for health and happiness to you all. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

My aunt and uncle raised me and I call them mom and dad…My real mom is my aunts sister and they don’t talk or get along and never have…it’s always been a weird space because i felt like I was torn between two moms…and a bunch of other issues….at 31 it definitely effects me and I get what she feel

I love her! I used to wonder why she didn’t look like any of her parents 🤣but I chalked it up to maybe she looks like a relative because that can happen! Wow!

Wow I was today years old when I realized that was her in "Save the last dance" she looks So different

What makes parents keep secrets that are so detrimental to the child? Why? Family secrets are wrong..