After that, according to Washington, her parents sent her a text message asking her to a family meal in the spring of 2018. Read full article
"When I learned this, I thought, 'Oh. I now understand my story," the actress claims.
She remembers being relieved to hear the news since she had always felt her parents were hiding something from her and that something was wrong.
I had no idea what my tale was, but I was a supporting player in their drama, she admitted.
The actress reveals that she learned about the family secret soon after she informed her parents of her plans to appear on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s Finding Your Roots, a PBS programme where celebrities learn about their ancestry through DNA testing.
After years of keeping it a secret, Washington's parents, real estate agent Earl Washington and academic mother Valerie Washington, met with Gates in private. Gates advised them that it was always preferable for families to talk about such developments in private before filming.
After that, according to Washington, her parents sent her a text message asking her to a family meal in the spring of 2018.
"When I learned this, I thought, 'Oh. I now understand my story," the actress claims.
She remembers being relieved to hear the news since she had always felt her parents were hiding something from her and that something was wrong.
"I didn't know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story," she admitted.
"This is really a book about me," she continued. The most significant role in my life is now mine to play.
The relationship between Washington and her parents ultimately deepened as a result of the incident.
I actually came to love, care for, and understand my parents so much more, she claims. "Digging so deeply into our family's past let me put myself in their position and consider the challenges, hardships, and sacrifices they have had to make. And it definitely helped me feel more connected to them.