Kerry Washington discusses everything from “Scandal” to sexual abuse in the industry as she chats to Marie Claire in a new interview.
The 41-year-old, who continues to fundraise for the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, says of the initiative: “Our priority has been to not reinvent the wheel, to not feel like, ‘Oh, we’re going to come in and do what nobody has been able to do,’ but rather, to acknowledge that there are so many communities of powerful women committed to advocacy.
“Our job is to leverage whatever power we have to support that work, grow that work, shed light on that work.”
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Washington, who made history after playing one of the most powerful female leads on television, Olivia Pope, adds of how she defines power: “Honestly, I think about power as more of an internal phenomenon. I tend to think about empowerment for myself so that I have the courage and ability to act on the ideologies and priorities that resonate with me.
“I’ve always wanted to cultivate a sense of empowerment within myself without seeking approval from outside sources.”
Washington, who is known for keeping her private life private, also gives fans a rare insight into her family life in the candid chat.
The actress, who shares two kids, Caleb and Isabelle, with husband Nnamdi Asomugha, says of learning from her loved ones: “My children are my teachers. We get sent by God the kids we need so we can grow in order to be the parents they need us to be.
“The children I got sent came in perfect, and I have to figure out how to grow and evolve so that I can support the truth of them. I’m in a constant state of learning and challenging myself to make room for their perfection and beauty.”
