Kerry Washington endeavours to convey to women that they are not solitary in grappling with arduous choices concerning their physical well-being. The esteemed actress, nominated for an Emmy and a mother of three, aged 46, discloses in her recently published memoir, Thicker Than Water, that she had an abortion during her twenties.
Significance is acknowledged
Washington expresses her initial internal conflict regarding including her abortion narrative in her life's chronicle but ultimately recognises its significance and the necessity to divulge it.
In her literary oeuvre, Washington contemplates an initial stage of her career, shortly following the success of Save the Last Dance in 2001 and her attainment of the prominent role in Spike Lee's 2003 dramedy She Hate Me. During her twenties, she experienced a romantic liaison that resulted in an unintended pregnancy.
The professional trajectory is advanced
Washington discloses that she provided a fictitious name to her medical practitioners to safeguard her confidentiality as her career was gaining momentum. While conversing with the nurses and undergoing the procedure, she concedes to experiencing a sense of disgrace and a degree of hypocrisy, having served as a sexual health educator during her adolescence.
She articulates that this narrative has substantially contributed to her understanding of her identity and the global landscape as her professional journey has advanced. Furthermore, she justifies her decision to disclose her experience at this juncture, stating, "It holds immense significance to me that the term 'abortion' is not stigmatized, and that my personal abortion does not become yet another source of shame in my life."
It is imperative to engage in honest communication
Washington further emphasizes, "We are currently facing a pivotal moment in which it is of utmost importance to engage in sincere discourse regarding our reproductive choices, as certain options are being unfairly stripped away from our jurisdiction." "I am divulging the truth regarding my life, unearthing certain undisclosed aspects," she clarifies, "I am not withholding this information to imply any sense of shame."
Presently, Washington is a parent to three children, including a stepdaughter in her teenage years, her daughter Isabelle, aged 9, and son Caleb, aged 6. These children are shared with her spouse of a decade, Nnamdi Asomugha, aged 42.