The actress and her husband Nnamdi Asomugha share three children.
Kerry Washington and her husband Nnamdi Asomugha are known for keeping their family life private, especially when it comes to their three children. They prefer to shield their kids—daughter Isabelle, son Caleb, and a stepdaughter—from the media spotlight.
During a recent interview at the American Black Film Festival, the actress talked about why she and Nnamdi have chosen to keep their children out of the limelight. “From the very start, Nnamdi and I have been really protective of our partnership and our relationship. We wanted it to belong to us,” she shared.
This approach naturally extended to their kids. “We just want to give our kids a chance to define their lives and to step into the public space on their terms,” Kerry explained. While they aren’t as strict as they used to be, Kerry mentioned, “They’re not locked in a dungeon. They come to set, we go places, we do things. We want to give them the freedom to engage in public life the way they want because we’ve chosen to be in the spotlight but that’s our choice.”
Kerry and Nnamdi welcomed their first child together, Isabelle, on April 21, 2014, followed by their son Caleb on October 5, 2016. Kerry is also a stepmom to Nnamdi’s teenage daughter from a previous relationship.
In a previous interview with InStyle magazine, Kerry had shared how she navigates raising her kids away from the limelight. “I’m really vigilant about keeping my kids out of the spotlight. These are their lives. We don’t want to hide them away in a castle. Any parent would want to keep their kids from situations that make them feel scared. I don’t want them to be exploited, especially in this social media world.”
Sometimes, like any doting mom, Kerry has moments when she wants to share her kids with the world. “There are moments I take pictures or videos of my kids, and I’m tempted to post them online. But instead, I usually send them to my parents or my therapist and say, ‘Look how cute they are!’” she said in an interview with Sunday Today.
Can’t wait to see Kerry in her upcoming project? Season 2 of UnPrisoned premieres on Hulu on July 17.
