Kerry Washington wants women to know they are not alone when it comes to making tough decisions about their bodies.
The Emmy-nominated star and mother of three, 46, writes in her new memoir, Thicker than waterthat she had an abortion in her 20s.
“I struggled a lot at first with whether or not to include my miscarriage story,” Washington tells PEOPLE in next week’s issue. “At first I wasn’t sure how it fit into this life story of mine. But I started to feel like it was really important for me to share this.”
Thicker than water Kerry Washington.
In his book, Washington reflects on a time early in his career, shortly after his success Save the last dance 2001 and landed the lead role in Spike Lee’s 2003 drama. She hates me. Then, in her 20s, she had a romantic encounter that led to an unplanned pregnancy.
Washington writes that she gave her doctors a fake name to protect her privacy while her career was on the rise. As she talked to the nurses and underwent the procedure, she admits to feeling ashamed, as well as a degree of hypocrisy, having spent years as a sexual health educator in her teenage years.
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“This story had so much to do with my understanding of myself and the world as my career unfolded,” she says.
Another reason she decided to share her experience now: “It’s very important to me that abortion is not a bad word and that my abortion is not another thing on the list of things I’m ashamed of.”
Washington adds, “We’re at a point where it’s really important to tell the truth about our reproductive choices because some of those choices are being taken away from us.”
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Kerry Washington and Nnamdi Asomugha.
Bruce Glikas / Getty Images
Find out more about Kerry Washington’s life story and new memoir in this week’s issue, out on Friday.
“I’m telling my truth about my life, revealing some of my secrets,” she explains, “I don’t want my not telling to make anyone think it’s a shame.”
Washington now shares three children – a teenage stepdaughter, as well as daughter Isabelle, 9, and son Caleb, 6 – with her husband of 10 years, Nnamdi Asomugha, 42.
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the memoirs of Kerry Washington, Thicker than waterit is available on September 26 wherever books are sold.
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Source: HIS Education