Kerry Washington revealed in her new memoir that she gave a false name when she had an abortion in the early days of her career.
The 46-year-old actress has opened up about her decision to have a termination in the early 2000s not long after landing the lead role in Spike Lee’s 2004 film She Hate Me.
Kerry shared that she was in her 20s when she experienced an unplanned pregnancy following a romantic encounter.
In her new memoir Thicker Than Water, she recalls how she gave a false name to protect her privacy and admits she previously felt ‘shame’ over her decision.
Kerry, however, in an interview with People insists she feels it’s important to speak out about her experience.
New memoir: Kerry Washington, shown earlier this month in Italy, revealed in her new memoir that she gave a false name when she had an abortion in the early days of her career
She said: ‘I struggled a lot in the beginning with whether or not to include my abortion story … But I started to feel like it was really important for me to share this.
‘This story had so much to do with my understanding of myself and the world as my career unfolded … It’s just so important to me that abortion is not a bad word, and that my abortion is not another thing on the list of things that I’m ashamed of,’ she said.
Kerry – who has three children – went on to explain the recent changes to America’s abortion laws also impacted her decision to speak out after the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade case last year effectively removed women’s constitutional right to undergo a pregnancy termination.
She added: ‘We’re at a moment where it’s really important to be telling the truth about our reproductive choices because some of those choices are being stripped away from us.
‘I’m telling my truth about my life, excavating some of my secrets. I don’t want my not telling it to make anybody think there is shame to be had,’ Kerry said.
Kerry has been married since 2013 to former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha, 42, and they have daughter Isabelle, nine, and son Caleb, six, together. She also is a stepmom to teenage daughter Anaiya from Nnamdi’s previous relationship.
Thicker Than Water will be made available on Tuesday by book sellers.
Kerry portrayed Fatima Goodrich in the 2004 film She Hate Me that was directed and co-produced by Spike Lee, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
Leading lady: The 46-year-old actress has opened up about her decision to have a termination in the early 2000s not long after landing the lead role in Spike Lee’s 2003 film She Hate Me, shown in a still
Scandal star: Kerry is best known for playing Olivia Pope on the ABC drama series Scandal
The film also starred Anthony Mackie, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Jim Brown, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Q-Tip and John Turturro.
Kerry gained widespread fame for starring as crisis management expert Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal from 2012 to 2018.
She also portrayed Anita Hill in the HBO television political thriller film Confirmation that was released in 2016.
Kerry will portray Major Charity Adams in the upcoming Tyler Perry war drama film Six Triple Eight about the contributions of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, an all-black and all-female battalion, in World War II.
It was announced last December that Tyler, 54, would be writing and directing the film for Netflix.
