00:00 Kerry Washington is revealing that her participation in PBS's "Finding Your Roots"
00:04 led to the discovery that she was actually conceived through a sperm donor.
00:08 The actress opened up about the revelation in new interviews with The New York Times and People,
00:14 tied to the release of her upcoming memoir, "Thicker Than Water," out on Sept. 26.
00:19 Washington says she made the discovery after wrapping her seven-season stint on ABC's "Scandal"
00:24 and deciding to "dig into her past" on the PBS series.
00:27 Washington told the New York Times that when she went to collect DNA spit samples for the show in
00:32 2018, her mother and father had noticeable hesitation. "I said, 'I just don't think
00:37 they're going to agree to it. My dad's really uncomfortable.'" Host Skip Gates went to speak
00:42 to her parents when they brought up whether the possibility that Washington not being their
00:45 biological child would "come up in the testing." The actress noted, "I've always had this weird
00:51 disconnect with my dad, but I thought that was my fault. I thought I wasn't a kind enough person,
00:56 but the idea that I was not his never occurred to me." She also explained that her feelings of
01:01 not belonging led to her eating disorder, anxiety, and self-esteem issues. "I was birthed into a lie.
01:07 I was playing a supporting character in my parents' story. I know that their intention
01:10 was to protect me, to love me, to take care of me, to keep my world simple."
01:14 The actress told People her decision to include the revelation in her memoir has been a difficult
01:19 one for her parents, though they generally support her. She also says that she will
01:23 forever be grateful to Skip Gates and what she learned through her experience with his show.
01:28 For more details on this story, head to THR.com.
01:31 And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.
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