Kerry Washington had an abortion. She stopped being ashamed of it

Kerry Washington has been at the top of Hollywood for nearly 20 years. She impressed in movies such as "Django" and "Fantastic Four". In contrast, her private life was a series of failures for a long time.

In the freshly published memoir "Thicker Than Water," the actress writes that as a little girl she experienced the "bad touch" due to an older boy. As an adult woman, she found out that the man she had always called "dad" was not her biological father. In college, she hated her own body, struggling with eating disorders, and wanted to commit suicide.

Following the warmly received film "She Hates Me," in which she starred alongside Monica Bellucci, and shortly before her breakthrough role as Ray Charles' wife in 2004, Washington found herself unexpectedly pregnant. It was the result of a meaningless emotional affair. The actress stated that at that stage she couldn't handle being a mother and decided to terminate the pregnancy.

In an interview with "People" magazine, she admitted that she used a fake name at the hospital. She didn't want anyone to recognize her, as she was worried about her career. She was overwhelmed by feelings of shame and the realization of hypocrisy, as even as a teenager, she was involved in volunteering, promoting sexual health among girls.

The procedure went without complications. 10 years later, the star gave birth to a daughter, and three years after that, a son. Today, she feels fulfilled as a mother.

Kerry Washington long hesitated whether to publicly admit to having an abortion. Ultimately, she decided that it would help both her and other women.

"It's very important to me that abortion not be viewed negatively and that my abortion is not just another thing on the list of things I am ashamed of. We are at a point where it's really important to have honest conversations about our reproductive choices, because some of them are being taken away from us," the actress stated.