KERRY Washington has opened up about the shocking secret her parents had been keeping for years.

The Scandal star revealed that her dad was not her biological father – and that she may never have found out if not for a specific event.

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Kerry Washington revealed that her dad is not her biological fatherCredit: Splash

The Scandal star shared that her parents kept the secret until 2018, when she had plans to go on the PBS series Finding Your RootsCredit: American Broadcasting Companies, Inc
Kerry, 46, spoke about the revelation – which is covered in her memoir, Thicker Than Water, due to be released on September 26 – in an interview with People.

The television star revealed: “It really turned my world upside down.”

According to the outlet, the secret came out when Kerry told her parents, Valerie and Earl, about her plans to take part in PBS’s ancestry TV show Finding Your Roots, which would involve tracing her DNA.

Her parents contacted the host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., who encouraged them to open up about their past beforehand, leading to a life-changing conversation in 2018.

Valerie and Earl reportedly told Kerry that her biological father wasn’t Earl, but an anonymous sperm donor they’d turned to after suffering from fertility issues.

The film star shared: “When I got this information, I was like, ‘Oh. I now know my story. I didn’t know what my story was, but I was playing the supporting character in their story.”

She also touched on the theory that a subconscious feeling about the secret may have played into her struggles with eating disorders and anxiety, saying: “I think that dissonance of like, ‘Somebody is not telling me something about my body,’ made me feel like there was something in my body I had to fix.

“This is really kind of me working to understand my life up until now, given this new information that I have that, in many ways, felt like sort of the missing puzzle piece.”

Kerry admitted: “My parents were not thrilled about me writing this… this really is a book about me. I now get to step into being the most important person in my life.

“I really started to have so much more love and compassion and understanding for my parents. Taking this deep dive into our family history made me put myself in their shoes and think about the things that they’ve had to navigate and what they’ve been through and what they’ve sacrificed. And it really made me feel closer to them.”

The star shared that writing her memoir was “the most deeply personal project” she’s ever done and shared her wish that it would encourage “deeper compassion” for its readers.

Although Kerry is spilling secrets in her book, the star is usually very tight-lipped about her family and private world.

Kerry is married to Nnamdi Asomugha, an American actor, producer, and former NFL football player born on July 6, 1981.

Nnamdi and Kerry secretly tied the knot in 2013 at a ceremony in Hailey, Idaho.

Kerry’s parents, Earl and Valeria, acted as witnesses.

When discussing plans to celebrate the couple’s 10-year anniversary, Kerry told Entertainment Tonight: “Do you remember how secret my wedding was?

“How private and secretive it was?

“That’s how the anniversary is going to be too.”

Back in 2021, Kerry took a rare misstep when she was forced to delete a controversial post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died aged 99 on April 9, 2021, with Queen Elizabeth – his wife of 73 years – at his bedside.

The rap icon DMX, real name Earl Simmons, died on the same day aged 50 after a reported drug overdose triggered a fatal heart attack.

On X, the actress wrote: “Anybody else wondering what DMX and His Royal Highness Prince Philip are chatting about together at the pearly gates?

“My love to both their families. May they both Rest in Peace.”

One person wrote: “The assumption that DMX and that white man are going to the same place… now Miss Washington please.”

Another wrote that the two men were going to “very different places”.

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Kerry described the news as a ‘missing puzzle piece,’ and felt it explained her past struggles with eating disorders and anxietyCredit: American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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The actress delves into the revelation in her memoir Thicker Than Water, which is set to hit shelves on September 26